Team Analysis

[Wrathchild]

When your team is doing poorly how do you figure out what the problem is? How do you tell if it's just you and that you shouldn't be playing? I've just finished May 1907 and, again, I have the worst team in the league. We are 17-28 and on a 4 game losing streak. We have never won more than 2 games in a row. I just don't know what the problem is. We can seem to get ahead in a game but can't hold the lead. I juggles my lineups a lot to try to find a winning combination but all of my players seem to do poorly, I think. What data should be looked at to determine where the breakdown is? If hits and runs are occurring, is that because your pitchers are bad or because your fielders are bad? My team batting average is .231 and my team ERA is 3.51. Does this tell me that both parts of my staff are hurting? I really don't know what to look at to figure this out. And I need logic!

[KG Erwin]

Wrathchild, I wish I had a cut and dried answer for you, but there isn't one. All the numbers crunching and obsessive analysis does no good when your team is slumping. My '41 Dodgers have started off slow, and I'm stymied. Yes, that was meant to be a disclaimer, OK? [;)]

I will ask this: why a 5-man rotation in 1907? That makes no sense to me, as 4-man or even 3-man rotations were de rigeur back then. I suppose it's a personal choice, but it could be part of your problem. I use a 4-man rotation, with several spot starters in the 6-man bullpen.

As for your anemic team BA, I can only suggest using more sac bunts and hit & run plays. Spread your speedsters throughout the lineup. Get those guys on base. Take advantage of weak-armed opposing catchers and steal bases. As the season progresses, my lineup is largely determined by OBS, not actual BA/HR/RBI totals.

[Wrathchild]

The only reason that I'm using a 5-man rotation is because I have an abundance of what I feel are quality pitchers. They have good ratings, good history, and for the most part have been actually doing fairly well. That's why I can't figure out why I can't win these games. But you are right: it could be part of my problem, as there are still elements of the whole thing that I don't understand. Why would the number of starters you have make a difference? If they are all good pitchers it shouldn't matter if you're rotating 3, 4, 5, or 6, should it? I also don't really know what a spot starter is.

I'll try to be a bit more aggressive with getting my runners on and in scoring position. I actually do use Hit & Run quite a bit, but I still don't seem to be scoring many runs. Maybe I'm also juggling who's in the lineup and the actual lineup sequence too much. After you've come up with a lineup, how long do you let it ride before you decide it's not working out?

[Jabez54]

Hey Mates ...

I find the "Deadball Era" posed more challenges than any era I had managed in ... I, too am playing in the 1900's and experiencing "pains and frustrations" as you mates are ... there are several factors one must not overlook and that is the type of parks your team played in, especially if they played half of their games in and the league the teams are in ... the parks in the old days are huge and "alien-like" ... I always find the standard of speed, defense and pitching usually win more games than any other standards ... like KG, OBS is usually the guideline I go by ...

Wraithchild, I wish there are cures for this but then again, it wouldn't be any fun for us if it was that easy.... (that is one of the reasons why I love this game) ... Yet, to our plights, I have found the rating of defense in catcher, ss, 2nd and ctr in higher ratio cut down errors and runs, while my lf, rf, 3rd and 1st who usually have higher power to drive in the runs for offense with 4 man rotation (danged, their arms just don't burnt out like they do in modern times) ...

anyway, I usually leave a lineup in for an average of two weeks - if the ratio of winning is greater than the second place finisher, I leave it as is while I continued to check the minors from time to time ...

The spot starter usually, for me, are reserve for aging superstar for longer rest (hate to part with them when they had performed well for me) or upcoming grooming of young superstar ..

Wraithchild, thanks for giving me the time but I believe you will prevail because of your passions and for the love of the game - YOU WILL SUCCEED ... until then ... see ya

[Wrathchild]

Thanks for the various pointers, Jabez. This is one of the things I love about this game: seeing everyone's various takes on how to succeed, and learning more about strategies for the game of baseball in general. I'm the sort that refuses to give up, and I really think that I will find a way to turn this team around. I just have to learn to be more patient!

[Wrathchild]

Oh, and as for the Spot Starters, what I'm trying to say is that I don't know what the role of a Spot Starter is. How does it relate to Starters and Relievers?

[KG Erwin]

The "spot starter" is a guy who fills in whenever all of your regular starters are fatigued. They come in handy on doubleheader days.

[Wrathchild]

Thanks, KG.