Dealing With a Limited Barry Bonds
By Joe Harder - Guest Writer
09/17/2006
A First Person Account of Playing With the 2005 Strat-O-Matic Card Set
Overview:
The Charlottesville Meadows drafted Barry Bonds as a rookie in The Stratomatic League (“TSL”), and he has never played for another team. The Stratomatic League began play in 1980 (using Stratomatic cards from the 1979 MLB season) and is a ten team keeper league with fifty man rosters (twenty five active). To make the playoffs requires finishing the fifty four game regular season with at least a .500 record.
After a string of playoff appearances and their first ever World Series victory (with the 1998 cards and Mark McGwire’s 70 home run season), the Meadows have faded. Although still alive in second round of the 2001 card playoffs (with Barry’s 73 home run card), they lost in the playoffs with 2003 cards, and failed to make the playoffs with 2002 and 2004 cards, finishing the most recent season 26-28.
League details:
* 10 team keeper league (at least 30 years old by now, though
I've not been in that long)* 50 man rosters, 25 man active
* 54 game season (6 against each other team)
* 40% of plate appearances (hits + walks only) or innings
pitched can be used during our regular season
Lineups:
We actually started our 2005 card season in midsummer, though we have had
our draft and June 1 is the trading deadline (and the ballpark setting
deadline for 2006 card season)...most of us won't start playing until
our blowout in September at the Four Seasons Philadelphia.
My team with 2005 cards is probably going to stink, unfortunately, but
I'm game to make a go of it. The Charlottesville Meadows" may resemble
a slo pitch softball team at times, but maybe luck will go our way, and
the ball will be hit toward our few decent fielders. A .500 record
makes the playoffs, and then I get 5 Barry plate appearances...
Starting pitching is four righties and a lefty: Freddy Garcia*, Javier Vazquez*, Tom Glavine*, Tim Hudson, Ervin Santana
Relievers are four righties and a lefty: Joe Nathan, Derrick Turnbow, Justin Duchscherer, Joaquin Benoit, and Andy Sisco (lh)
Everyday lineup (or some variation, with Wilson sometimes mixing in):
Kenny Lofton cf-3(+2)e8 norm. lhb, 47 ob vs. rhp, -8 clutch, *19-13
Rich Aurilia 2b-3e16, ~rhb, 34 ob vs. rhp, +8 clutch
Jason Giambi 1b-5e18 norm. lhb, 58 ob, 8 <>, 6.2 hr, -3 clutch
Gary Sheffield rf-4(-2)e4 norm. rhb, 40 ob, 5 <>, 3.5 hr, -5 clutch
David Ortiz dh norm. lhb, 45 ob, 8 <>, 10.7 hr, +5 clutch
Javier Valentin c-3(0) ~rhb, 36 ob vs. rhp, +3 clutch, 8 <>, 5.4 hr,
Limited:
Corey Koskie 3b-2e15 norm. lhb, 37 ob, 3 <>, 2.2 hr, -9 clutch
Ryan Freel lf-3(-1)e3 norm. rhb, 41 ob, wimp, 1.5 hr, -13 clutch, *19-15
Bench:
Barry Bonds, 20 regular season ph plate appearances vs. rhp, 5 in playoffs
Frank Thomas, 48 regular season ph plate appearances vs. lhp, 12 in playoffs
Frank Catalanotto, lf-5(+1)e0, +12/+11 clutch, ph w/51 clutch ob vs. rhp
Craig Wilson, "defensive" 1b for Giambi, ph vs. lhp, -9 clutch, LIM TO 94 pa
Adam Everett, no hit defensive ss-1e16, ~rhb, 27 ob, +1 clutch, bc15, *18-13
Jason LaRue, c-4(-2), norm. rhb, 35 on base, 2 <>, 2 hr, +3 clutch
I don't know about the lineup...Freel's extreme negative clutch makes me not want to bat him 2nd or after Ortiz, but 41 on base is nice...with this weak defensive lineup, I have to hope to jump out to the lead and then make defensive switches; LaRue in to catch (for limited Valentin), Wilson to 1b as a 4e11 (for Giambi's 5e18), Everett in (for Freel or Aurilia) at ss-1e16.
The 2005 cards draft and 25 man roster decisions:
Approaching the 2005 card season draft I wanted to put together a competitive team while not compromising the future of the franchise, and ideally, rebuilding some pieces and building positional depth as well. There are some solid teams in the league, and .500 is perhaps more than I can hope for, but I didn’t want to do a complete rebuild.
The main problem is that the team is populated by players whose best position is hitter – David Ortiz, Jason Giambi, and Frank Thomas join Bonds in that category. Still, I decided all four had to make the team, with Thomas and Bonds being primarily pinch hitters, and Giambi’s 1b-5e18 winning out over Ortiz’s 5e30 in terms of taking the field. A defensive option might be nice for late in games, but taking Giambi’s on base out of the lineup would demand a big lead. If my opponents just don’t find too many gb-1b(X) plays, maybe we’ll be alright.
Starting pitching going into the draft was okay, with Freddy Garcia, a starred normal righty, Tim Hudson, a non-starred normal righty, Javier Vazquez, a starred reverse righty, and Tom Glavine, a starred reverse lefty. I wanted a fifth starter better than Ted Lilly by draft or trade, since I wanted Joaquin Benoit to be in the bullpen.
The bullpen was decent, anchored by righties Joe Nathan, Justin Duchscherer, and Benoit (who I would probably start if I made the playoffs, depending on matchups). I needed a lefty better than Ray King and a righty who was an improvement on Francisco Cordero, Ryan Madson, and Julio Mateo. Someone with a lot of innings who was reversed, or at least solid against lefties, would be best.
In the draft, with my highest overall pick (a second rounder), I took Derrick Turnbow, the best right handed relief card I saw there (too bad it may be his one and only good card). Later, I drafted Ervin Santana as my fifth starter and Andy Sisco as my only lefty reliever to round out the ten pitcher staff. I wish I felt I had space to carry one more reliever.
Stacking the lineup:
I also knew I would need protection for Ortiz and/or Giambi in the lineup, in the form of a right handed stick who mashes lefties and is at least okay against righties. Craig Wilson has a limited card and not as much pop as I would like, although he still makes the team. The next best option on the pre-draft roster was Jason LaRue, but though he makes the team as my unlimited catcher he isn’t as good against righties as I would like to bat behind Ortiz (although the positive clutch is nice). Other possibilities who just weren’t good enough against righties were Craig Monroe, Brandon Inge, Pedro Feliz, and Jermaine Dye, none of whom made the twenty five man roster.
The solution was to trade for Gary Sheffield three minutes into the draft once the other owner was sure he could draft Jeff Francouer, and to draft switch hitter Javier Valentin with my second overall pick (a third rounder), as my limited second catcher and occasional starter (especially at home or in other ballparks that favor lefty power with his eight ballpark home run chances versus righties). The fact that he also played 1b is a small plus, as I’m not sure a 4e25 is that much of an improvement over Giambi’s 5e18.
Based on fielding projections, Brady Clark and Frank Catalanotto would have been starting outfielders at the top of the lineup, but when the actual numbers came out Clark’s cf-4 and the Little Cat’s lf-5 made them untenable everyday options if I wanted to compete, so I sought out a centerfielder who would be better overall than Aaron Rowand and his cf-1 or Carlos Beltran, cf-2, both of whom had low on base versus righties. I chose Kenny Lofton in a middle round of the draft, and hope his on base prowess overcomes his cf-3(+2).
With my other draft choices I went for youth, picking up centerfielder Brian Anderson, catcher Rene Rivera (who has an excellent card this year that I would have liked to find room for), and pitchers Seth McClung and Roman Colon.
Depth?
The position players now shaped up as Larue and a limited Valentin at catcher, defensive liability Giambi at first, Ortiz as everyday dh, a limited Thomas and a limited Bonds as pinch hitters, Lofton in center field, Sheffield in right field, and a limited Wilson as left fielder and “defensive” first baseman.
Second base would be manned by the versatile but negative clutch Ryan Freel (2b-3e22, lf/rf-3(-1)e3, cf-4, 3b-3e41) and the versatile and positive clutch Rich Aurilia (2b-3e16, ss-4e18, 3b-4e11), both of whom were unlimited. The starter at third versus righties would be Corey Koskie, 3b-2, with either Freel (3e41) or Aurilia (4e11) likely starting against lefties.
Freel would play left field when Wilson was resting, and could move to center or right, although I don’t imagine pinch hitting often for Lofton or Sheffield. This put the roster at ten pitchers and twelve position players. Three to go, which had to include a starting shortstop.
The person whom I inherited the Meadows from, and who now serves as a strategic advisor to the team, recommended that I keep Frank Catalanotto, because of his +11/+12 in the clutch, even if his lf-5 relegated him primarily to pinch hit duty. I did ultimately decide in favor of Catalanotto over Rivera, although the versatility of a third catcher and Rivera’s on base both ways were tempting.
Initially, I had been thinking that reverse lefty Craig Counsell and his ss-3 would start at shortstop both ways, and that for defensive purposes Adam Everett and his ss-1 would come in with Counsell moving over as a 2b-2. But when I looked at the top left handed starting pitchers in our league, other than Johan Santana I found mostly normal lefties (rather than reversed), so I opted for lefty masher and 2b-2 Junior Spivey over Counsell, and Everett became the everyday shortstop who is primarily in there for his defense. If I must pinch hit for Everett, Aurilia is a ss-4.
Here, then, is the 25 man Charlottesville Meadows roster using 2005 MLB cards:
Batters (15)
F. Catalanotto lh pinch hitter, positive clutch
J. LaRue full time rh catcher
C. Koskie lh 3b-2
D. Ortiz lh dh
C. Wilson rh 1b-4, lf-3, rf-4, limited ab’s
J. Spivey rh 2b-2, slightly limited
R. Aurilia rh 2b-3, positive clutch, 3b-4, ss-4
A. Everett rh ss-1, slightly reversed, weak hit
R. Freel rh 2b-3, 3b-3, lf-3, cf-4, negative clutch
F. Thomas rh dh/ph, mashes lefties, limited
J. Giambi lh 1b-5
B. Bonds lh ph, very limited
J. Valentin sh c-3, limited
K. Lofton lh cf-3(+2)
G. Sheffield rh rf-4(-2)
Pitchers (10)
T. Glavine lh~ *starter
J. Vazquez rh~ *starter
T. Hudson rh starter
F. Garcia rh *starter
J. Benoit rh starter/reliever
J. Nathan rh reliever
J. Duchscherer rh reliever
D. Turnbow rh reliever
A. Sisco lh reliever
E. Santana rh starter
Didn’t make active 25 man roster:
R. Rivera rh c, massive on base, very limited
C. Counsell lh~ ss-3, 2b-2
J. Dye rh rf-3(-4)
A. Rowand rh cf-1(0)