I need help assembling a fantasy team

[John Shoemaker]

I was recently given as a gift an entrance to a very expensive Las Vegas fantasy baseball league. Here are the rules:

Pick your roster – any player from 1885-2007 is eligible but the maximum number of players on your roster is 21 and no player can play more games at any position than he played during his regular season major league career. (Example: a player that played or pitched in only one game in the major leagues – no matter how great his stats in that game – may only play or pitch 1 game for your team at whatever position he played in that game). (Another example: a player that is normally a second baseman and played 1 game at third base during his regular season major league career may play only 1 game for your team at third base). No designated hitter will be used – the pitcher must bat for himself. The pitcher is considered the same as any other position player. Since each game is a statistical entity onto itself a pitcher can play (pitch) in as many games for your team as any other position player. You will be playing a full 162 game schedule so at each position make sure you have players that can play a total of 162 games. Also if a player plays multiple positions his total games played cannot exceed 162.

I need some ideas for picking players as it appears anyone who ever played major league baseball is eligible to be picked. Play starts April 1 so rosters must be set by then. There are very large monetary awards for the top teams so I’d like to assemble a good team. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

[Sockeye]

I'll be glad to help you. Not sure I completely understand the rules though. You can pick any 21 players or will you be drafting the players? Obviously it must be a sim game so what stats will be used for the sim? Are the players career numbers going to be used or just their best season? I could help you put together a great team but would need to know more about the details.

[AstrosFan]

Is there a salary cap? I have a database of wOBA, relative to the league, of every player with at least 575 PA per 162 games. That's offense only, but it might help some.

[TheKingofKings]

I see Cal Ripken Jr.....

[John Shoemaker]

I'll be glad to help you. Not sure I completely understand the rules though. You can pick any 21 players or will you be drafting the players? Obviously it must be a sim game so what stats will be used for for the sim? Are the players career numbers going to be used or just their best season? I could help you put together a great team but would need to know more about the details.

I am told I can pick any 21 players. Career statistics are going to be
used. I have statistical information on all the players. I just wondered if people had some ideas about obscure players with very short playing careers - players that could be used for several games.

[John Shoemaker]

Is there a salary cap? I have a database of wOBA, relative to the league, of every player with at least 575 PA per 162 games. That's offense only, but it might help some.

No salary cap. I just pick 21 players. I have a large data base too. What I was hoping to find were unknown players with very few PA but great stats to use in a few games.

[Wade8813]

So, what you should do is just make your all-time team, then see what you have room for after that.

[AstrosFan]

How few PA? For fewer than 100, some of the top players are

Cesar Cedeno 1985 Cardinals
Randy Milligan 1993 Indians
Craig Wilson 1998 White Sox
Walt Bond 1962 Indians
Lew McCarty 1916 Giants
Babe Ganzel 1927 Senators
Mike Kinkade 2002 Dodgers
Darryl Strawberry 1999 Yankees
Joe Jackson 1910 Indians
Fred Sington 1938 Dodgers

If you go over 100, I'd add

Ted Williams 1953 Red Sox
Gates Brown 1968 Tigers
Oscar Gamble 1979 Yankees
Mark McGwire 1993 Athletics

[John Shoemaker]

How few PA? For fewer than 100, some of the top players are

Cesar Cedeno 1985 Cardinals
Randy Milligan 1993 Indians
Craig Wilson 1998 White Sox
Walt Bond 1962 Indians
Lew McCarty 1916 Giants
Babe Ganzel 1927 Senators
Mike Kinkade 2002 Dodgers
Darryl Strawberry 1999 Yankees
Joe Jackson 1910 Indians
Fred Sington 1938 Dodgers

If you go over 100, I'd add

Ted Williams 1953 Red Sox
Gates Brown 1968 Tigers
Oscar Gamble 1979 Yankees
Mark McGwire 1993 Athletics

Thanks for the ideas. As for how few PA's: the game is based on entire career stats so even someone who played in 1 game in his major league career could be used but only for 1 game. Thanks again.

[AstrosFan]

Well, there's Adam Lind, Herb Goodall, Frank Emaga, Jeff Baker, Ted Tappe, Jeff McNeely, Tom Hughes, George Nicol, etc. It's a simple thing to calculate RC/27, advanced form, for career stats for everyone, from the Lahman database.

[plask_stirlac]

Is this it?
http://www.fantasybaseballchampionship.com/home.asp Edit: Probably not.

I'm not sure if you can make a team out of "fluke career" guys, they probably didn't last BESIDES injury (bad defense, etc.) Unless this is like a testing phase I think career length will factor for endurance, some guys will get wiped after 30 games.

Just get the best guys who hardly declined: Gehrig, Schmidt, Hornsby, Joe Jackson depending on defense, Tris Speaker... Ruth, Cobb, Mays, Bonds, etc. of course.

C - Cochrane, et al
1B - Gehrig
2B - Hornsby
3B - Schmidt
SS - Wagner
LF - Williams/Bonds
CF - Cobb/Speaker
RF - Ruth

That's 5:3 for lefty batters, is there a DH (Frank Thomas or Foxx)?

[John Shoemaker]

Is this it?
http://www.fantasybaseballchampionship.com/home.asp Edit: Probably not.

I'm not sure if you can make a team out of "fluke career" guys, they probably didn't last BESIDES injury (bad defense, etc.) Unless this is like a testing phase I think career length will factor for endurance, some guys will get wiped after 30 games.

Just get the best guys who hardly declined: Gehrig, Schmidt, Hornsby, Joe Jackson depending on defense, Tris Speaker... Ruth, Cobb, Mays, Bonds, etc. of course.

C - Cochrane, et al
1B - Gehrig
2B - Hornsby
3B - Schmidt
SS - Wagner
LF - Williams/Bonds
CF - Cobb/Speaker
RF - Ruth

That's 5:3 for lefty batters, is there a DH (Frank Thomas or Foxx)?

Thanks for the ideas. There is no DH - the pitcher must bat. I think the idea of the league is that someone who just played a few major league games could still be used but only for a few games. No player is ruled out because of length of career. Thanks again.

[AstrosFan]

I searched the Baseball Reference PI, and found these:


Player LName OPS+ PA
Frank Ernaga 163 52
Jimmy Say 160 65
Art Watson 159 100
Adam Lind 156 65
Benny Bowcock 153 55
Ted Tappe 151 72
Terry Forster 146 86
Johnnie Tyler 145 59
Jack Cummings 145 151
Horace Milan 144 116
Dave Rowan 142 70
Jeff Baker 142 101
Pinky Swander 141 64
Chris Duncan 140 324
Mike Sullivan 140 115
Kevin Rhomberg 139 52
Henry Gehring 139 54
Buzz Arlett 138 469
Bill Kay 137 60
Randy Asadoor 137 60
Fred Lewis 137 538
Frank Skaff 137 82
Dennis Casey 136 288
Mike Patterson 135 52
Dan Thomas 134 201

[John Shoemaker]

Thank you.