First W out of the way. 1-1 on the season.

(04-08-2024, 11:29 AM)TecmoBengals Wrote: First W out of the way. 1-1 on the season.

Same here. Only one unbeaten team, and I match up with them this week.  If I get lucky, so does everybody and no unbeaten teams as we do The Tighten Up like old Motown record. 

(04-08-2024, 11:29 AM)TecmoBengals Wrote: First W out of the way. 1-1 on the season.

(04-08-2024, 03:12 PM)kevin Wrote: Same here. Only one unbeaten team, and I match up with them this week.  If I get lucky, so does everybody and no unbeaten teams as we do The Tighten Up like old Motown record. 

Both Sid Finch and NRBs said that they wanted back in, and they thought that they could do better. After 2 weeks I would say that thus far this is true. Only 10 teams this season but none are easy outs. 

I get in from my show last night and switch on TBS. The Padres are playing the Cubs, and my pitcher Musgrove is pitching. Musgrove is a notoriously late starter in FBB. So, it's top of the 5th in a 0-0 game. Musgrove gives up a solo shot to Morrel. No biggie it's now 1-0. Musgrove issues a walk, error...yada, yada bases are juiced but Musgrove is still battling.

Skip comes out and gives him the hook. The reliever comes in, throws three pitches, and see ya GS! Dude, I was so pissed. FFS, Musgrove could have done that, but I don't think that he would've. He was still battling. That was a terrible move by their skipper imo regardless of the fantasy implications.

(04-10-2024, 05:05 PM)coachmcneil71 Wrote: I get in from my show last night and switch on TBS. The Padres are playing the Cubs, and my pitcher Musgrove is pitching. Musgrove is a notoriously late starter in FBB. So, it's top of the 5th in a 0-0 game. Musgrove gives up a solo shot to Morrel. No biggie it's now 1-0.  Musgrove issues a walk, error...yada, yada bases are juiced but Musgrove is still battling.

Skip comes out and gives him the hook. The reliever comes in, throws three pitches, and see ya GS! Dude, I was so pissed. FFS, Musgrove could have done that, but I don't think that he would've. He was still battling. That was a terrible move by their skipper imo regardless of the fantasy implications.

Dude, check out my David Bednar line for the night. .1 IP and -22 points.

I need to adapt. A pitcher taking an "L" kills the team. I relied too much on last year's strategy of starting a lot of arms on their day to take the mound.

(04-12-2024, 10:05 AM)TecmoBengals Wrote: I need to adapt. A pitcher taking an "L" kills the team. I relied too much on last year's strategy of starting a lot of arms on their day to take the mound.

Right, last years scoring system error by LM was a fluke.  Most seasons pitchers can put up negative points.  Not just L's but HR's kill you also.  Why one season I had Hunter Greene and many K's, but his league leading HR's were a ton of negative points. 

Still, teams that never use pitchers end up in last place. That is a fact. Each year you look at the last place teams of this league and the old league, and teams that never use pitchers all season are doomed for last place.  It is kind of a No Gut's, No Glory thing.  You have to at least try to put up pitching points. 

I will add, that if you have a nice lead going into Sunday, that it can be wise to bench pitchers to avoid negative points.  However if you need points on Sunday, you throw the Hail Mary and use any pitcher you can.  I remember some washed up pitcher for Cubs that I added Sunday morning who put up 30 to 40 points on Sunday Night game and I barely won the week due to that.  The washed up old pitcher never had such a good game again in MLB, but I threw the Hail Mary and he delivered that night.  Sunday Morning Pitching choices are huge.  I have had teams put up 200 points on me on Sunday, and wipe away what looked like a good lead and a weeks win, and of course it took Hot Pitchers for such a big day.

The first team that I took over at mid season had hitting but was worst in league in pitching. I tried to improve the pitching for about All-Star Game on, but not much help in free agency late in season. I thought I took that last place team and played teams tough second half of season, but taking over a team with no quality starting pitchers besides Sale that year was rough. I tried to trade hitting for some pitching, but no luck on that.

Don't give up on your good pitchers Tecmo. Good Pitching is hard to add as the season roles along. All pitchers have bad outings. A starter with a 10 point average on the season is Golden. Relievers won't have 10 point averages, but if they are positive and put up saves or holds or a ton of K's as middle relievers.

I see Bednar got a save tonight. Blown saves happen, and you have to ride those out if you think the guy might put up 20 saves or more.

I'm not trying to come off like a know it all. Just that the last place team I took over mid season of 2018 was dead last in pitching, and I found out fast that it is hard to win with pitching that bad. Everybody gets hit with negative pitching point streaks, but do not stop trying to put up pitching points.

That 10 points per game average stat is good, but beware, Sometimes a guy is back in the minors, like that guy Mets kept bringing up and down last year. Amazing a guy pitches that good and sent back to minors, but teams do it. 9 or 8 or 7 points a game is worth looking at. At least they aren't negative a bunch of points on the season. My first season and team I took over had Cobb who was suppose to be good, but he was all negative points. Well, 5 wins and 15 losses. We can see why the Orioles went with youth in a rebuild.

I'm going to have my negative pitching points and losing streaks. What I won't do is stop trying to put up pitching points. So hang in there Tecmo, and don't give up on Pitching because of a rough patch.

I move to 2-1. I was losing most of the week but rallied over the weekend.

(04-15-2024, 09:34 AM)TecmoBengals Wrote: I move to 2-1. I was losing most of the week but rallied over the weekend.

and I am off to a bad start on Monday April 15th.   The sun doesn't shine on the same dog every day.  I'm over due for a bad week,   Still, I will not stop trying to have pitching points.  I have seen teams to chicken to ever use pitchers, and they always finish in last place, for is it not all about hitting.  More to the game than hitting. 

Those who have played Fantasy Baseball longer than you or me Tecmo, have a saying that is correct. That if you score 600 points one week, often you only score 200 points the next week....It is a Roller Coaster of a season as your players get HOT and your players get COLD, but you ride it out, the Ups and Downs. A few bad weeks in Fantasy Football kill you, but Baseball is a marathon longer season. Like old Johnny Carson Show, some nights the jokes are good, some nights the jokes are down in the valley. Anyway, I had an awful Monday start, against a team you don't want to fall behind to. It Happens.

(04-16-2024, 04:16 AM)kevin Wrote: and I am off to a bad start on Monday April 15th.   The sun doesn't shine on the same dog every day.  I'm over due for a bad week,   Still, I will not stop trying to have pitching points.  I have seen teams to chicken to ever use pitchers, and they always finish in last place, for is it not all about hitting.  More to the game than hitting. 

Those who have played Fantasy Baseball longer than you or me Tecmo, have a saying that is correct.  That if you score 600 points one week, often you only score 200 points the next week....It is a Roller Coaster of a season as your players get HOT and your players get COLD, but you ride it out, the Ups and Downs.   A few bad weeks in Fantasy Football kill you, but Baseball is a marathon longer season.  Like old Johnny Carson Show, some nights the jokes are good, some nights the jokes are down in the valley.  Anyway, I had an awful Monday start, against a team you don't want to fall behind to.  It Happens.

I'm with you in terms of running the pitchers out there. I'm not going to play it conservative. I do, however, wish I didn't invest in closers. When they do well the + points doesn't feel consequential enough but when they get rocked and a blow a save it stings.

Next year, I won't be prioritizing them in the draft unless saves get a major point boost.

(04-16-2024, 09:14 AM)TecmoBengals Wrote: I'm with you in terms of running the pitchers out there. I'm not going to play it conservative. I do, however, wish I didn't invest in closers. When they do well the + points doesn't feel consequential enough but when they get rocked and a blow a save it stings.

Next year, I won't be prioritizing them in the draft unless saves get a major point boost.

I use to feel that way about relievers.  I didn't want them, I didn't draft them. I wanted those guys listed as starters and relievers to have even more starters. Then in the old league this guy won and he had amazing reliever stats. He racked up so many reliever points and won the championship. 

It's hard to find Saves relievers, but Holds relievers can be found and they put up good points.  An All-Star Set Up Man can be as a good as an average Closer.  In looking for who is HOT in bullpens, click on Saves of course to see leaders in free agency, but click on Holds and there might be a guy under the radar getting a ton of holds as a top Set Up Man.  It's tempting to click on K's on relievers, but you have to look at ERA also.  In hunting for pitching, quality starts are huge, but on relievers I like the old Mario Soto as a reliever stats.  Soto before being a starter had all these innings and few hits.  Relievers that have innings but almost no runs, and good on hitless innings, that is the old Mario Soto unable to hit or score on stats. You see one of those, grab him, the guy is a superstar flying under the radar on some teams bullpen.  A guy has good reliever innings, almost no runs and few hits, that is a reliever to maybe grab out of free agency.

My first year when I took over a team around All-Star Game that was in last place. I couldn't get top starters or top closers that late in season. I did find some top Holds relievers. Hey, a guy that put's up 30 or 40 Holds is good to have.

K's are great, as long as the guy doesn't give up the homers a ton also. K's are great if he is also not giving up a ton of runs. There is a lot to look at in pitching. Also these guys get hot and cold. As season goes, you have to click on LAST 30 DAYS stats on pitchers and hitters, for who had a HOT month. Like that Al Pacino salesman movie. Hottest free agent hitter and pitcher points leaders for the month deserve added to one of our teams. Last day of April, check those 30 day stat points leaders, and at end of each month after that. Check to see who hottest reliever over the month in free agency was also. The top hitter, the top starter, the top reliever for the month in free agency need looked up. CATCHER isn't a big points guy often, but if I am struggling at catcher some years, I click on catcher and see if anybody better than my struggling catcher. I'm OK on catcher so far this year, but teams that aren't need to click on Catcher points leaders, because they may not be up with top hitters, but if they are tops in catching hitter points, a team could get a bargain.

If I lose to Sid Finch this week do I get bumped down to a lower fantasy league?

I survive to go 2-1. I racked up three wins from SP on Sunday including two from free agent pickups.

(04-22-2024, 09:03 AM)TecmoBengals Wrote: I survive to go 2-1. I racked up three wins from SP on Sunday including two from free agent pickups.

Sometimes it works out and sometimes those FA pitchers get shelled..lol. Nice job of adding the right ones. You get a pitching depleted Dizzles this week. Probably be a long week for my team. Had to cut one today just to have enough starts to compete this week. Congrats on the W.

(04-22-2024, 01:02 PM)coachmcneil71 Wrote: Sometimes it works out and sometimes those FA pitchers get shelled..lol. Nice job of adding the right ones. You get a pitching depleted Dizzles this week. Probably be a long week for my team. Had to cut one today just to have enough starts to compete this week. Congrats on the W.

I was fairly strategic about who I added. I avoided any SP I thought would net me negative points. Another week of competitive fantasy baseball incoming...

Meanwhile in the MLB, pitchers are currently dropping like flies. I have a feeling that the pitch clock may be cancelled after the next collective bargaining agreement. It's shortening games and careers at this point.

Rough week for me. How's everyone else fairing?

(04-29-2024, 11:12 AM)TecmoBengals Wrote: Rough week for me. How's everyone else fairing?

I was talking with DDs yesterday about our matchup. I'm not really sure how that happened. My pitchers are banged up and I don't recall any of my stix having a huge week. I'm guessing that you must have had to take some negative pitching losses this past week?

(04-29-2024, 01:14 PM)coachmcneil71 Wrote: I was talking with DDs yesterday about our matchup. I'm not really sure how that happened. My pitchers are banged up and I don't recall any of my stix having a huge week. I'm guessing that you must have had to take some negative pitching losses this past week?

Yeah, some of my decent starters had bad games.

(04-26-2024, 02:52 PM)coachmcneil71 Wrote: Meanwhile in the MLB, pitchers are currently dropping like flies. I have a feeling that the pitch clock may be cancelled after the next collective bargaining agreement. It's shortening games and careers at this point.

I hope not.  There were a ton of pitcher injuries before the clock.  I hated the 4 or 5 hour games. I came to hate baseball. I hated players looking at their shift cards.  I love the game faster, more like the faster games in 1960's and 1970's.   Keep the pitch clock, because there were a ton of pitching injuries without it.  Keep the game going faster, I hated how slow the game had became before the pitch clock was put in.  They took the slowest and most boring game in sports and made it fast paced and exciting again.  Pitching injuries have always been there. Sandy Koufax, Bob Gibson had injuries. For Reds, Jim Maloney, Gary Nolan, Don Gullett, Mario Soto, Jose Rijo, Johnny Cueto, all had injuries, and that is off the top of my head, many more that that. The 1970 Reds were 70 and 30, but by World Series they had lost many of their pitchers to injury. Jim Merritt, Wayne Simpson, the pitching Reds had early in season was a MASH Unit come World Series and Sparky had to try to get by without his best pitchers. Pitching injuries have always been a part of baseball. It ain't the pitch count clock, and I love the game going faster again.