Articles
Basic Strato Strategy
I have been playing strato now for over 20 years. I have competed in star tournaments, face-to-face leagues, and internet leagues. While most guys simply play the game for enjoyment, I have made a detailed study out of Strato and it's inter workings. It is more like a riddle to me then a game-- although the game aspect monopolizes a large amount of my time too!! Hahha!!
The riddle is how to win at strato using a particular path that will place any team in the playoffs and most teams in the world series. Of course there is also a managerial factor in this equation (where managers who consistently make poor choices, can affect the normal outcome to following one of my proposed paths)
I have tried to figure out how to win Strato for many years... and not to be just content with winning the World Series, I wanted to win every year. So, i naturally started to hypothesize the formula for which solves the game of Strato baseball. Over the years, I documented the pro's and con's of every strategy chosen and started to turn these hypotheses into theories. These theories that I have developed might appear to be complex on the surface because they involve managing effectively all the essential variables of the game which are (starting pitching, player card maximization, unbalanced teams, aggressive run production, statistical defense, late round drafting choices, stadium selection, and pamob (placement and movement of baserunners).
What I have concluded is that if any team follows basic and advanced strategy guides, they will increase their chances to make the playoffs by 100%. Also, they will increase their chances to make the world series by 300%! These numbers might sound staggering.. but I assure you, they are 100% true. The game of Strato baseball is a riddle that can be solved if you know the clues, which make every team max out their potential of winning.
In this publication, which would be put out once per year, I would include basic and advanced strategy techniques specific to that year (because every card set is different and will need fine tuning of strategies), rookie reports, top 40 minor league players, undervalued cards in the set, key acquisitions, stadium strategy break downs, late round steals, the top 20 at each position vs righty pitching, and the top unbalanced pitchers. There are 30+ pages in all!!!! Nowhere else can you find a guide that dedicated to taking Strato to the next level. Nowhere else can you find a strategy guide period!!
In this publication, which would be put out once per year, I would include basic and advanced strategy techniques specific to that year (because every card set is different and will need fine tuning of strategies), rookie reports, top 40 minor league players, undervalued cards in the set, key acquisitions, stadium strategy break downs, late round steals, the top 20 at each position vs righty pitching, and the top unbalanced pitchers. There are 30+ pages in all!!!! Nowhere else can you find a guide that dedicated to taking Strato to the next level. Nowhere else can you find a strategy guide period!!
Feel free to email me with questions at achiever73@aol.com. Good luck this year, and God bless Strato!!!! Basic Managerial Decision Making
Infield In vs Corners In
Yes—there is a difference between bringing the infield in and bringing the corners in. By bringing the entire infield in (which means first, second, third, and short; as the pitcher is always considered in), you are trying to do one of two things:
90% of the time it’s the first option. By bringing the corners in, you are bringing the firstbaseman and the thirdbaseman in on the infield, while the shortstop and secondbaseman play normal or deep. The chart below gives you a basic guide to follow for the times in question when you need the infield in or just the corners in. This is not a perfect solution, just a guide.
(This guide assumes a runner on third and you have last ups. With two outs, the infield or corners are never in)
Sac and Squeeze
The sac and squeeze are used more by lower offensive teams then by teams scoring runs in bunches. Often in close games, these managerial calls can make or break you. A sacrifice is when you are sacrificing an out to get a runner already on base to advance one base. This is done most effectively when a pitcher is up and you need a runner in scoring position, or if you have a high chance double play guy or weak hitter, and you need the runner in scoring position to win or tie the game. A squeeze is when you are trying to start the guy running at third and the try to bunt the ball. The guy on third should have some wheels or this play is botched from the beginning. If the guy on third runs like a mule with one good leg and a 300lb woman on his ass, then the odds are not good from the start. Choose carefully and wait for the right moment.
Stealing
So many things have been said about this topic, it’s almost impossible not to repeat sombody somewhere. Stealing is essential to any good team in the top 5 of any league. You need guys who can get on base and then swipe second or third if given the opportunity. This gets runners in scoring position and helps pad your stats and your league lead. Not every guy on your roster needs to be Ricky Henderson, but at least 2 speedsters always help.
As an example, I am very aggressive on stealing. I usually go 1-13 or 1-14 (depending on the situation of course). This gives me a 65-70% chance of success which is acceptable to my strategy plans. Some guys never steal and play dead ball style. If there is a guy on first who can steal 1-19 safely, they’re letting the next guy bat. It really all depends on your own viewpoint. I can tell you however, that having guys with wheels can give you another weapon to eek out a victory and good teams find ways to win close games. 2001 Humorous Draft Review
The 2001 Strato Draft Review The following is a lighthearted review of the 2001 Strato draft. This is for entertainment purposes only. Every team gets equally ribbed on, although some of you guys pulled more bone-head picks then others!! The 7 Commandments of Drafting
Just a few quick thoughts….The draft basically went well, with some surprises as always. Joe did another great job coordinating everything… I, still, can’t even begin to fathom how he manages to announce draft positions, sort players, announce available picks, and draft for his own team…. It’s simply amazing. Now, onto the first team! Acadiana Mud Puppies
Scott Williamson One of Cinci’s better relievers Mike Williams That +9 hold makes Edgar Martinez drool David Wells Lefty # 1 stuck on that sorry team in Canada John Vander Wal Put up huge numbers then Pittsburgh signs Derek Bell—go figure Mike Sweeney Definitely living up to his potential John Rocker More of a threat to world peace then Middle East terrorists. Joe Randa Will never be confused with those other really great KC 3b baseman Jim Parque Lefty # 2 Paul O'Neill Another singles hitter… one of the few lefties who hit lefties Jeff Nelson His world series ring collection stopped when he was traded Mike Myers The Spy Who Shagged Me?? Damian Miller Who Cares?!! Fred McGriff The only crime here is drafting his sorry card!! Ray Lankford Maybe one more good year left out of that old body Chuck Knoblauch He gets to it…. And the throw sails into the stands hitting Keith Olberman’s mom of all people.. Talk about bad press! Mike James How he has a 3.19 ERA with that card defies logic Jason Isringhausen I have to believe I could save games too given 5 run leads Todd Hundley Came off the pine to put together some decent numbers Glenallen Hill Babe Ruth in August, Damian Miller this spring Pat Hentgen He witnesses a miracle every time he cashes his check Tom Goodwin All speed no bat Shawn Estes Lefty # 3 Bobby Estalella Supposed to be good Darin Erstad Like a 16 year old… he shot his wad early Deivi Cruz Finally a good season… looks to improve on those #’s Roger Clemens Some guys can throw into their 40’s Juan Castro Can we draft Cuban’s Joe? Bret Boone He can’t hit, run, or field…. So why draft him?? Dante Bichette I hope he’s your DH because he can’t catch a cold in right Rod Beck Surprisingly good card Ann Arbor Avengers Randy Wolf Batters tagged this “protected species” all year Chris Truby Who the hell is this guy?? Brian Tolberg When your fastball tops out at 89, your career doesn’t look too promising Chuck Smith A 31 yr. Old rookie---Even sounds like a fake name. David Segui Everyone needs a first baseman who hits 19 homers. Mike Remlinger Does he still have that twitching disorder?? Neifi Perez Didn’t she pose for Playboy? Jose Paniagua Meeting your Latin quota Bob? Trot Nixon Pulled a Houdini last year. Ben Molina A solid catching prospect Gil Meche You stole him just before me again!! Mark McGwire I bet you wish he batted 300 more times last year Greg Maddux Different year same Greg. Ryan Klesko Good pick-up Chipper Jones Like this team needs anymore power! Geoff Jenkins Could be a strato god but never saw a pitch he didn’t like Bob Howry Waiting for lefties Gil Heredia 2 Gils on one team and you still tread water every year?? haha Jason Grimsley What direction are you going in with this shit bag pick?!! Wiki Gonzalez You can never have enough guys who batted sub .240 Juan Gonzalez Hello Cleveland… Goodbye Comerica Park Alex S. Gonzalez Like he’ll see any playing time behind Neifi Perez. Kelvim Escobar Why draft him? You already met your Latino quota Octavio Dotel Will get slapped around like a trailer park wife in your stadium Johnny Damon If he had more power he’d be a Strato God Jason Christiansen A lefty with an ERA over 5.00 …. Yeah he’ll play alot Jeromy Burnitz Next year he’ll be much better Mike Benjamin Unfortunately, the fans in Pittsburgh are still waiting for a competitive team to root for. Rick Ankiel Why draft a lefty starter?? Roberto Alomar Sooooo much better then his brother sandy!! Ansbach Angels Jamey Wright Are we allowed to draft girls Joe?? Woody Williams What a slap in the face, he goes from one Steve to another. Gary Sheffield Always has a great strato card Felix Rodriguez Came out of the closet last month Britt Reames Begging for relievers at this point Carl Pavano Montreal’s payment for Pedro….Someone got fired over that trade. I’ll guarantee that!! Chan Ho Park Every other year he has a good strato card. Alex Ochoa Might be good if the Red’s ever gave him a chance Mitch Meluskey The only thing that reminds me of piazza is that +1 arm Matt Mantei Have to love that +9 hold Mike Lowell When I had him he sucked, when you have him he’s great. Derrek Lee Mr. Nobody from Florida Carlos Lee Derek’s brother? Chad Kreuter Should have stayed with Freddy in the Elm Street sequels Todd Hollandsworth Once upon a time…. He had potential.. Roberto Hernandez Solid closer Felix Heredia Another banana farmer turned pro baseball player Shigetoshi Hasegawa Imagine spelling this name in kindergarten Brian S. Giles He’s good Nomar Garciaparra Wayyy too good a guy to be on Steve’s team Keith Foulke One of the best relievers Cliff Floyd His card should have been better then what it is Cal Eldred He’s no Ripken Jeff D'Amico You’ll be thanking me for taking him instead of Alou later Matt Clement Another one of my guys you said sucked but mysteriously he’s on your team!! Tony Clark You can go back 50 years and never find one good Clark who played first base Luis Castillo How did he fall into your team? Ken Caminiti Great card but only 220 AB’s Geoff Blum Who the hell is this asshole? Moises Alou Good card… makes Canseco look like a superstar fielder Brooklyn Bombers Ryan Vogelsong Just the beginning of a sad, sad drafting day for Rich Jeff Tam Waiting for righties Sammy Sosa Will make a run at 70 this year!! Bill Simas Where do you find these guys?? Dan Reichert Got slapped around like a rented mule, but you still drafted him Hipolito Pichardo Meeting your Latin quota too? Vicente Padilla Now you’re exceeding your Latin Quota John Olerud .400 only in his wet dreams now Robb Nen Will pitch until his arm falls off on this team Brian Moehler Considering what was available… he’s not bad Jim Mecir Good Pick Julio Lugo Just because he’s young doesn’t make him worth taking Javy Lopez Used to be an animal Jon Lieber Has one of the better starting cards in the set Damian Jackson 4e40 at short—should see a lot of playing time!! Ben Grieve Shows flashes of brilliance Shawn Green Hurts to keep him but you had to Tom Glavine Something about our division loves to draft lefties Troy Glaus Waiting for Leiter Jeff Frye Have another beer Rich!! Chuck Finley Lefty # 2 Elmer Dessens Still chasing around bugs Delino Deshields De SUCK!! Ron Coomer How do you get “N” power when you only hit 16 homers in 544 AB’s Frank Catalanotto Makes a mean spaghetti dish Mike Bordick Over stayed his league welcome Andy Benes You can find his brother working at Arby’s in St. Louis Brad Ausmus He sounds like a disease Kevin Appier In 33 years he hasn’t learned how to shut down lefties Garret Anderson
Another Steve to Steve trade
Georgia Grey Hounds Preston Wilson He must like the Florida beaches, because he gets no press Rondell White The Great White??…. Just another fish in the ocean this year Omar Vizquel Can field barehanded Todd Van Poppel Actually looked good in rd 4… how scary is that?!! Steve Trachsel Coming to a toll booth near you Mariano Rivera A-u-t-o-m-a-t-i-c Chris Richard You must have needed a shovel to dig this guy up Jorge Posada He’s a Yankee…. I can’t rib on him Andy Pettitte See the above comment Lance Painter This team is going south faster then a Lear jet Magglio Ordonez Finally a Strato Stud Denny Neagle If you draft one more lefty I’ll scream Terry Mulholland AAAAAUGGHHHHHH!!!!! Ramiro Mendoza The yanks ride him like a rented mule Kerry Ligtenberg If he did his job Rocker would still be in the minors!! Darren Lewis Manny’s defensive replacement in the 9th Paul Konerko It took a while but Paulie finally came to life Doug Jones You know he’s bad if the fantasy books don’t list him Richard Hidalgo A Monster!!! Carlos Febles Every year he finds his way onto your team Ray Durham SUCKS J.D. Drew It’s this year or never Ryan Dempster Nice first pick!! Steve Cox What were you thinking when you typed in his name?? Bruce Chen Different team… lower ERA Sean Casey Last year was the “sophomore jinx” syndrome Scott Brosius Shot his wad in the world series 2 years ago Henry Blanco Maybe a good pickup Adrian Beltre Him and El Dukie don’t even know their own age… hhmmm Antonio Alfonseca If I saw 6 fingers on each hand of his... I’d freak out too!! Grass Lake Oily Otters Gregg Zaun Rubber band arm Kerry Wood Has 2 pitches… the fastball, and the really fastball Paul Wilson I guess he must be a prospect Enrique Wilson So why draft his brother too? Matt Williams The giants pulled out just in time Bob Wickman It’s that ½ index fingers that makes the ball jump around Larry Walker He’ll be the old walker next year Jose Vidro Like you need another stud player!! Scott Strickland Waiting for Righties Todd Ritchie In your ballpark his ERA will skyrocket Manny Ramirez A FUCKING ANIMAL!! Ben Petrick Tough choice…. Johnson or petrick!! Robert Person How did he end up on your team? Mike Mussina Thank god the good guys (Yanks) got him Matt Morris If healthy… he’s a stud Kevin Millwood Japan is becoming a realistic choice for him right now Kevin Millar How are those Budweiser’s going down?!! Chuck McElroy Was lit up more then Marlboro’s last year Albie Lopez Pitching in that stadium is useless Charles Johnson A career year Jose Jimenez How he only gave up 4 homers in Colorado is a miracle Cristian Guzman Not to be confused with his brother Juan who also sucks Buddy Groom It’s great to see guys get desperate in the draft Ken Griffey Jr. When “the kid” stumbles… most mortals call that a career year John Franco He’s the only guy to be collecting salary and social security checks every week. Greg Colbrunn All his life he hits only lefties. Now he suddenly hit only righties… go figure!! Will Clark If St. Louis had a DH he’d still be playing Roger Cedeno Rickey Henderson Jr. Chris Carpenter Will get whip-lash from watching all those homers fly out of the park in right Brady Anderson He’s as washed up as San Fran driftwood Indianapolis Arrows Greg Vaughn Not to be confused with Greg Zaun who also sucks!! Brett Tomko His starting days are in the past Jim Thome Was much more valuable when he played third Anthony Telford Actually a good pick Justin Speier Where did you find this asshole? Mike Sirotka The best lefty out there Terry Shumpert He’s old and he can’t hit or field.. why bother drafting him? Richie Sexson All or nothing Kazuhiro Sasaki What’s up with the Japanese pitchers…. They can never hold baserunners Benito Santiago You’ll need him with Sasaki pitches Jesus Sanchez Rumored to have turned water into wine Kirk Rueter Another lefty—You’ll learn Pokey Reese Back to the batting cage Pokey!! Brad Radke Good Starter Brad Penny We’ll accept his shitty card… he’s a prospect Rafael Palmeiro Finally has some protection in that lineup Jose Offerman Another guy who can’t hit or field—what were you thinking? Corey Koskie I was sorry to have to part with him…. He has 30 homer potential Byung-Hyun Kim Who Flung Dung?? Gabe Kapler A rising star Andruw Jones How did you end up with him? Derek Jeter An ANIMAL!!! Go Yankees Tim Hudson Another Animal Bobby Higginson Good first round choice Ramon Hernandez How many catchers do you need? Brook Fordyce Are you in the Twlight zone Eric Davis Waiting for lefties Rheal Cormier Another useless lefty who shuts down lefties Aaron Boone Wasn’t even rated by other managers Brian Bohanon Another lefty … my head hurts! Liverpool Fanatics Dmitri Young We’ll have to surgically remove him from Paul’s team Jeff Weaver May have real potential Robin Ventura Didn’t even hit his weight last year Miguel Tejada A Future Stud B.J. Surhoff With a name like BJ, you must be a Fudge Packer Scott Sullivan Not too bad. J.T. Snow The one lefty on this team! Sidney Ponson One day he’s Pedro Martinez, the next he’s Pedro Astacio Mike Piazza Just when you think he can’t get any worse…. He’s saddled with the +3 arm Mike Mordecai Waiting for Steve’s rotation Wade Miller A prospect Jose Mercedes If he keeps pitching like that he’ll be driving a Yugo. Mike Matheny He better be your full time catcher with piazza’s +3 arm Jason Marquis A good sleeper Terrence Long If he used his shades the yanks lose game 5 and never make it t to the series. Steve Kline ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ………….. David Justice Wow… what a trade GIFT Torii Hunter First you’re chasing girls, now you’re drafting them. Bill Haselman I see those Corona’s are going down real easy Vladimir Guerrero ANIMAL!! Danny Graves Why keep a reliever when there’s plenty out there?? Carl Everett Albert Belle in training Juan Encarnacion Are we allowed to draft from the Puerto Rican Leagues? Scott Elarton OVER-RATED Damion Easley That’s a big drop from Biggio to Easley Mike Cameron Where is this guy going to play?? Kevin Brown Annual STUD!! David Bell What were you thinking when you typed in his name? Tony Armas Jr. Finally a good pitching prospect Terry Adams For the moment I thought I saw the light in your eyes….. then I realized it was coming from the back of your head Long Island Rockers Kelly Wunsch Keep Digging Watson!! Turk Wendell Those bones around his neck didn’t bring him any luck Kevin Walker The best lefty reliever out there Aaron Sele Sele, Serta, or Simmons… doesn’t matter because it’s real easy to fall asleep when he’s pitching Scott Rolen He has soo much potential Bryan Rekar Not too shabby!! Adam Piatt 150 AB’s…. why draft him? Keith Osik 123 AB’s…. why draft him? Ramon Ortiz Was lit up like a Christmas tree last year Ramon E. Martinez This guy is as useful as a used condem!! Terrell Lowery 34 AB’s…. why draft him? Billy Koch Finally a quality reliever Jason Kendall Next year will be his coming out party! Denny Hocking You’re in love with that –2 arm Livan Hernandez No El Dukie Doug Henry Walked 49 guys in 78 innings….. Matt Clement thinks that’s funny Todd Helton ANIMAL Jeffrey Hammonds He hit 20 homers in Colorado …back to the weight room Jeff Ricky Gutierrez ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzz…………. Rich Garces Have to love that +7 hold Jermaine Dye ANIMAL Jose Cruz He might be the real deal this year Chris Brock You are really groping for straws with this shit pick Willie Blair Best days are 10 years behind him Craig Biggio Good late round selection Danny Bautista You’re in love with that –2 arm Tony Batista STEVE—Why trade for him and then not retain him???? Rich Aurilia STONEHANDS!!! Juan Acevedo Not bad Paul Abbott Safeco saves his career!!!!! Mexican Bandits Barry Zito OKAY—he’s a lefty—but I had to take him in rd 14 Julian Tavarez Hoping he pitches better then his face looks Mike Stanton A spot lefty reliever Steve W. Sparks That selection brought to you by Guiness Draft Ivan Rodriguez The guys an animal!! Alex Rodriguez See the above statement Rick Reed Has more diamonds on his card then a jeweler David Ortiz Waiting for lefties Pedro Martinez Move over CY Young Matt Herges My only good reliever Latroy Hawkins My only closer Pete Harnisch How did he slip past everyone until round 19? Luis Gonzalez Wanted Vazquez or dempster… but settled for him Mark Gardner Pedro, Colon, Gardner….. Which one doesn’t fit? Ron Gant Colorado Here We Come!! Osvaldo Fernandez One of 12 Starters… Is that a Strato Drafting record Joe??? Tony Eusebio Ivan then Eusebio… what a jump!! Jim Edmonds Lucky late pick from last year Adam Eaton Potential Stud Chad Curtis SUCKS Bartolo Colon Lose some weight you FAT TOAD!! Eric Chavez 36 homers this year?? Pat Burrell Yep, I’m getting drowsy Bobby Bonilla Ah Shit, I’ve fallen into a coma with this crappy pick Lance Berkman Has Potential Rob Bell Will never see the mound this year… he’ll LIVE in the minors Jeff Bagwell Thanks Steve!! Luis Alicea Traded Mateo for this slob, it’s called “I have no backup second baseman Edgardo Alfonzo Happy Days is on the comeback trail Bobby Abreu Back to the weight room Bobby Pensacola Sand Dollars Fernando Vina Part one of 1-2 punch Quilvio Veras Part two of the 1-2 punch Javier Vazquez WOW… Nice Pick Rob!! Greg Swindell this is where Rob falls asleep at the wheel Makoto Suzuki +7 hold makes Piazza look like Henderson on the bases Chris Stynes Another good back up Bill Spiers Plays drunk at every position Jeff Shaw Holding onto him for the Glory Days?? Curt Schilling Pitching is key….. you’re learning Grasshopper Rey Sanchez I don’t know what’s funnier… the fact that you picked him in the third round… or that you’re proud you got him so late Jimmy Rollins This skinny kid will be the Philly’s future shortstop Mark Quinn Surely you had somebody better to keep then this!! Steve Parris Quite a jump from Shilling to Parris Tomokazu Ohka Prospect Doug Mirabelli That’s what we were laughing at when you typed in his name Dave Martinez Anyways finds his way onto some desperate team Derek Lowe A good reliever Esteban Loaiza Average outing is 3 innings… way to go!! Matt Lawton Rob thinks he’s the best player in the draft….Steve agrees!! Stan Javier Dave Martinez Jr. …..all defense and no bat Aubrey Huff You’re really getting desperate with this shit pick… 122 AB’s? Rick Helling I’d like to hit with Hellings card… He would be me DH Jason Giambi You’re welcome!! Andres Galarraga The big cat lasted very late in the draft… nice job Darrin Fletcher How does a career .280 hitter all the sudden bat .320?? Steve Finley ANIMAL Jeff Fassero We love those lefties!! Jeff Cirillo He hits 11 homeruns at coors in 600 ab’s….back to the weightroom Jeff!! Frank Castillo The Ace in this rotation!! Benny Agbayani His card says he plays the outfield but everyone knows he can’t play anywhere!! Salt Lake Brine Shrimp \Eric Young For 6 million a year…. He should get to everything hit in hid direction Tim Worrell 4-5 automatic homer!! Bernie Williams The better of the Abreu/Willians trade Bob Wells 6-5 automatic homer. Can you say “whiplash” watching them go out of the park!! Jarrod Washburn A future star.. and the Angels need him Donne Wall Good Pick!! Tim Wakefield You’d think the rest of the baseball world would finally catch up to his 32 MPH pitches… but they never do Mo Vaughn Goodbye 2001!!! ……“I’ve fallen and I can’t get up” Jose Valentin You should be publicly spanked for drafting him… 40+ errors at short is in reach with his card!! Garrett Stephenson 5-8 automatic homer!! Joe Slusarski A “Hal” pick Jay Payton At least the Mets love him Dean Palmer How old is this guy??!! Jose Ortiz Your future secondbaseman Raul Mondesi Rob should have kept him !! Brent Mayne At least he can hit for average Edgar Martinez ANIMAL Al Martin Only hits righties Mark Loretta Hopefully he’s your shortstop and not Valentin Brian Jordan I bet you’re happy he didn’t play football!! Randy Johnson ANIMAL…. So much more valuable if he was a righty Orlando Hernandez When he remembers his own age… let us all know!! Eric Gagne Wild youngster… when he’s in control.. he’s in the elite Mike Fyhrie You’re digging deep to get this crappy guy Travis Fryman He shot his wad this year Craig Counsell Will he ever play a full season Albert Belle Will never play again… rumored to be dating Hanna Storm Jay Bell Still milking that one good year Rolando Arrojo Everyone always drafts him… and he BLOWS!! Sandy Alomar Jr. Gives Robbie a bad name Tennessee Thunder Dave Weathers Might have been a good pick!! Frank Thomas Big Hurt…. Big Deal!! Jeff Suppan Has a budding career in vacuum sales Lee Stevens He really isn’t very good Luis Sojo Another guy who should be put out to the pasture Scott Sauerbeck Another useless lefty who only shuts down lefties Tim Salmon The fish always has a good card Kenny Rogers BIG GAMBLE, ..But should have known when to fold em’ Antonio Osuna Not too shabby Joe Oliver Why would you draft him?? Bill Mueller A third baseman with ZERO power—can’t get enough of those Melvin Mora He can’t hit… but can at least field Eric Milton Power lefty starter Ruben Mateo You’re welcome Kenny Lofton WOW…. Nice pick up Mike Lieberthal Too good to be on your team :D Darryl Kile Aging wonder given new life with St. Louis Jeff Kent ANIMAL Eric Karros Homer or Strikeout… someone like Kingman ring a bell? Jacque Jones It’s hard to become known when you’re a twinkie Chris Holt Good thing you have osuna Doug Glanville Maybe this year he actually earns that paycheck Rafael Furcal Great pick John Flaherty Call 9-1-1 he having a brain freeze Mike Fetters Get the medics over here… try the cattle prod to revive him!! Darren Dreifort Hey it worked!! Vic Darensbourg You must have puked when you saw that guy on your roster the next day Jeff Conine First stop AAA, next stop Japan Barry Bonds Hall-o-famer Armando Benitez Will be earning his paycheck on this team Waxhaw Knights Dave Veres Steve you’re starting out strong!! Jason Varitek Has potential Ugueth Urbina the guys has 13 innings…. He could be in the minors before the first week is done!! Michael Tucker 5e71 at second… do the charts even go that high?!! Fernando Tatis Hold onto him steve…. Don’t trade him! Kevin Tapani LOSER Arthur Rhodes Lefty # 1 Edgar Renteria from Rey Ordonez to Renteria (both e31’s) they get to it.. and the throw sails into the bleachers Herbert Perry Doesn’t he make ice cream? Orlando Palmeiro The only guy in the majors who didn’t hit a single home run Dan Miceli Actually like his card Al Leiter Lefty # 2 Mark Kotsay When your right fielder hits less home runs then Paul Oneill….. you know you’re in for a long season Steve Karsay Another decent reliever Brian L. Hunter Great fielder… shitty hitter Trevor Hoffman Steve. You’re on fire!! Dustin Hermanson a good late round pickup Mike Hampton Lefty # 3 Mark Grudzielanek Can’t field or hit Rusty Greer Getting worse every year Mark Grace A first baseman with no power Brad Fullmer Don’t trade him steve… Hold onto him Einar Diaz Go back to Mexico.. YOU SUCK Tim Crabtree Have another beer Alex Cora You know we were all laughing at this pick!! Jose Canseco Still fantasizes about Madonna on the road Dave Burba If he dropped 30 pounds he’d be a 20 game winner Adrian Brown Not bad Steve Ron Belliard Where did this crappy pick come from? Andy Ashby Stop throwing fastballs and you’ll give up less homers Weisbaden Vikings Tony Womack Joe’s drooling over the stolen bases Rick White Who is this guy? Gabe White Just draft the entire family Joe! Todd Walker Colorado here we come!! Shannon Stewart WOW….was that Joe’s pick?? Paul Shuey These are the crappy picks we’re all used to seeing Jose Santiago Does he sing Soprano? Olmedo Saenz Great backup Glendon Rusch NOT a first round pick Joe!!! Mike Redmond Stinks like dead fish Mark Redman You probably forgot which one you wanted, so you got both Placido Polanco A good late round pickup Mark Petkovsek Joe… you’re dying on us!! Eric Owens Bring in the paramedics. We have no pulse!! Phil Nevin Waiting for Lefties Curtis Leskanic Great pick Barry Larkin Still great after all these years Adam Kennedy Must be a prospect Todd Jones Nice pick Scott Hatteberg How do you sleep at night picking him?? Joe Girardi Girardi makes Hatteberg look like an amateur….. and that’s NOT saying much Freddy Garcia Only pitches well in Safeco Carlos Delgado Joe—you’re building a good team here Ellis Burks WOW… 2 good one’s Jay Buhner In 96’ he hit 52 homers for me.. Joe would be lucky to get 7 out of that card Russ Branyan Big guy… big stick Kris Benson ANIMAL Marvin Benard All defense.. nothing else James Baldwin Should have stuck to acting Brian Anderson You do love those lefties That’s my story folks…… and I’m sticking to it!!Pitching Your Way To Victory
Pitching Your Way to Victory
The 2001 year has been a baseball year to remember. It started out with the umpires learning the high strike and ended with fantastic world series. The interesting thing to me, is how much the game of baseball can change in just one year.
Going into the 2001 season, you saw Texas load their roster with high profile sluggers in an attempt to muscle their way into the post season. You witnessed high expectations for Boston after they added Manny Ramirez, and watched in amazement as Cleveland fired up their potent offense. People were talking about the other Coors Field in Houston, and how A-Rod wanted Seattle to bring the fences of Safeco in some 20 feet. You even saw St. Louis bring up a young guy called Pujois. All the talk was on the offense, and everyone wondered if the balls were juiced.
Then something very interesting happened. As the season unfolded: Pedro hit the DL and Boston hit the skids, A guy called Matt Morris came back from the DL and gave St. Louis new life, Texas reached unthinkable depths as their rotation got lit up like a cheap Marlboro, Houston found out that Enron is NOT the Astrodome, and a little guy weighing 157 pounds (named Ichiro) who hit just 8 home runs all year won the MVP. Sure, the focus was on Bonds Hitting 72, with Gonzales and Sammy right behind. But most people overlooked a vital piece to winning that most owners and GM's still haven't figured out........Offense puts people in the Stands.... but Defense wins games. In baseball.......pitching is everything.
Don't believe me.... look at the real life examples. Let's look at the teams in the playoffs... Oakland, Seattle, Yankees, Atlanta, Arizona, Seattle, Cleveland, and Houston. Those 8 teams accounted for 8 of the top 10 pitchers in the Majors (ranked by ERA). The top 3 teams in the American League in team ERA (Seattle, Oakland, and New York) were all in the playoffs. Also, the top 3 National League teams in team ERA (Atlanta, Arizona, St. Louis) were also in the playoffs. That is 100% of the top 3 teams in ERA in each league made the playoffs. Conversely, only 4 of the top 6 teams in batting average were in the league playoffs.....and NONE of those top 3 teams in batting average from each league made it to the world series.
Now this paints a clearer picture as to the importance of solid pitching. Simply put, acquire the best pitching in the league and you'll be in the playoffs.... but acquire the best hitting in the league... and your not even guaranteed to make the playoffs... just ask Colorado and Texas about that!! Arizona won the world series because they simply out pitched a good pitching team. Atlanta was a very middle of the road offensive team and even thought they collectively batted just .260, they still made the playoffs thanks to good pitching.
The old adage is.... a good defense ALWAYS shuts down a good offense.... and if they CAN'T SCORE they can't win!! This is soooo true in baseball and in Strato.
This season, the major league ERA was the lowest it's been in 9 years (except for the strike shortened year in 97). The high strike has affected baseball.... and it's time to sit up and take note. This year, there are 18 starting pitchers with a ratio of 1.2 or lower!! That is simply amazing. Last year was the season of offense. In 2002, this is the year of the pitcher. Playoff contenders will ALL have excellent pitching. The question is..... will your team make the right trades and draft the right guys to get the pitching that will GUARANTEE you a spot in the playoffs?
It's so simple... but everyone gets caught up in the home run... the long ball... the sultan of swat... the king of sting..... the moon shots... the roof raisers... the kiss of the bambino's. Nobody seems to like the 2-1 games. OHH.. they are boring.... we'll have to juice the ball to get people in the stadium. Well, just ask the Yankee fans if they value great pitching and 1-0 wins. Think the fans at Fenway would trade Pedro for anyone right now?? No way!!
I've often wondered, if you could have 9 Barry Bonds in a lineup, and play against Pedro of 2000....and if Pedro's team had 9 Tino Martinez's and played against Kenny Rogers.... what team would win??? Clearly, pitching wins games. This year.... is the year to set your team up with a defensive park and a good pitching staff.... trade away a marquee hitter for a marquee pitcher any day (with some few exceptions)... but take note.... you can pitch your way to victory. Sample Page from the guide
Sample Page for the 2002 guide
The Catchers
The catcher’s position was the worst in the majors last year in terms of offensive productivity. The top 20 catchers combined to hit a scary .253 average, with 13 homers and just 50 RBI’s. In 4th grader terms… Get your catcher early or don’t get one until round 12.
At the catcher’s position, you have The Big Three (Ivan, Piazza, and Lo Duca) and The Big Drop (everyone else). Lo Duca came on to the scene as a rookie last year and tore up the National League. He finished the season at .320 with 25 homers and even a 2(-1)e3 rating at catcher. Toss in a (+ 4) rating in the clutch and he’s a player!! Piazza must be relegated to the DH spot. Piazza might have been in that second tier if it wasn’t for his outstanding offensive season. That (+3) arm is death in strato. My grand mother, who is crippled, needs crutches to get around, and only has one good eye, can steal off Piazza. That’s ugly!! Everyone else is in the next tier. Charlie Johnson lost his “1” status…. again another flaw in Strato’s rating system, but it’s those quirks that make the game interesting. The second tier guys are Johnson, Posada, Lopez, Kendall, and Leiberthal. Again, these guys can be had in rounds 3-5. They are not first round picks!!
The Outfielders
Anyone who lands Barry Bonds will be in for the year of a lifetime. The man hit 72 homers!!!! He had the best offensive season in 76 years. His card is so nasty I might just give him a free pass anytime he comes up to bat. He has 20.3 (clean) for homers vs. righties and 13.5 (clean) for homers against lefties. He has 90 total bases against righty pitchers. The card is worth framing for any die-hard strato fan. Barry Bonds had such a great year... he got his own paragraph on my guide!! Hahahaa.
Edmonds, Manny, Sosa, Gonzales, Berkman, Guerrero, Bonds, Griffey, Abreu, and Jones are all in the second tier. There are so many good outfielders this year that your priority should be on the positions like catcher, short, and second. Of all these second tier guys, Sosa, Berkman, and Gonzales stand out the most. These guys are all Bonafide Studs!! Junior’s stock is falling faster then Monica did on President Clinton. His defense, onbase, AB’s, and even slugging are at all time lows. Toss in his downgrade in range from a 1 to a 2 and he’s a big question mark. This one time lock for Cooperstown has been lost in the shuffle.
I told you last year “Erstad had shitty second half numbers…. So buyers beware!!”, as predicted… you saw his struggles. I’d snag the centerfielders first, in any draft, over the other outfielders. Right fielders are a dime a dozen along with first and third baseman. When I am looking at outfielders, defense, average hitting, and speed on the bases are the focal points. Your power positions are usually third, first, DH, and right field. What makes guys like Ichiro and Abreu so valuable is their ability to bat in the .320 range or higher, and to steal and make things happen when they reach base. With so many defensive ball parks this year, you should consider looking for guys who hit for a higher average and steal in the middle rounds, then to grab that slugger early. Dell's Strato Score Sheet |