A Late Night Riff

So, last night, it was late, and I should have been in bed, but I was reading Joe Posnanski's blog and laughing out loud at his Strat-O-Matic references... and I realized that I really, really want to write about my 2006 Spring City Turbohens, because they rock. (As boring as reading about someone else's fantasy team may be, at least Strat is based on reality!)

First, some background. I was introduced to Strat-O-Matic when I was a freshman in college back in 1988 (!! My 20th year high school reunion is this year?  Oh my). Five of us got together a year later, drafted two major league teams, put them together, and played.  My, did we play. We ended up playing three full seasons in one school year.  (I could go look up my grades from that year, but I'm afraid. Very afraid.)

Fast forward 20 years. (Again, what in the world?  I'm almost 40?!?)  I was remembering how much fun we had that year in the EMC dorm, playing Strat on the computer and listening to Peter Gabriel and the Notting Hillbillies, and I decided to set up a Strat-O-Matic club at the high school that so generously employs me.  The first year the club failed- I had only two kids interested. The second year, though, I had a better plan: use a computer and projector and actually show the kids how the cards and computer game work.

I had nine kids (plus me, of course) interested. We drafted players over a week of lunchtime meetings.  That first year, the kids were at a major disadvantage: I knew the game, rather too intimately according to my wife, and they didn't. The Turbohens went 114-48, and motored on through the playoffs, winning both the regular season and the World Series (using the 2005 Strat cards).

Now, to this year. We now have 12 kids, and many returning club members, so my advantage should be gone, right?  Well, the Turbohens, besides having an awesome (imaginary) mascot of a hen with flames shooting out its butt, is kicking major rear end (hah).  Again.  After 90 games this season, the 'Hens are 63-27, with 667 runs scored, and having given up 409. 

I see the issue as this: last season, everyone bemoaned the lack of pitching. When the new draft rolled around, kids started snapping up pitching... some owners actually drafted all five starters in the first five rounds. While this was happening, the erstwhile Mr. Leonard was snapping up hitting, hitting, and more hitting, hoping that enough pitching would be left at the end.

Here's the lineup I ended up with, with average, on-base percentage, and slugging (keep in mind that these are 2006 stats):

1. Carlos Guillen, SS: 320/400/519

2. Carlos Beltran, CF: 275/388/594

3. Manny Ramirez, LF: 321/439/619

4. Travis Hafner, DH: 308/439/659

5. Lance Berkman, 1B: 315/420/621

6. Alex Rodriguez, 3B: 290/392/523

7. Brian McCann, C: 333/388/572

8. JD Drew, RF: 283/393/498

9. Jamey Carroll, 2B: 300/377/404

That's some serious hitting going on. If I fall behind 4-0 in the first, it doesn't matter- I just stay the course. Certainly, I have some weaknesses.... like, maybe, injuries, and most of these guys can only score from first with three singles, and my defense isn't so great (Manny in left field!), but all of them rake.  So far this has been successful.  (As long as I don't have to manufacture a run in the bottom of the ninth.) As an entire team, my hitters are 304/387/558.

My starters (Jeff Francis, Jason Jennings, Cole Hamels, Matt Cain, and Clay Hensley) keep me in games, and I can absorb an error every now and then.

We all know what happens in the playoffs, right?  Good pitching usually shuts down good hitting (is this proven as a fact?).  But playoff pressure doesn't exist in Strat-O-Matic, so my hitters won't know that they are supposed to be nervous and dominated by Roy Halladay.

Really, though, this league has enabled me to recapture something that was great fun in my youth, and wonder why more of this can't happen. (Although an Atari 2600 party doesn't have the same ring as a Strat club, for some reason. Imagine kids today playing "Adventure" for more than two seconds: "I'm just a block? That duck is a dragon? I can only carry one thing at a time?  I don't get to shoot anybody? This is lame.")  Could some of us get together and play Wiffleball every now and then?  Would that be too much to ask? 

At any rate, maybe I and my co-club mates have learned something about baseball strategy and player usage, too, while we're at it , which means that my club mates are actually learning something while having fun. And giving up 12 runs to the Turbohens.

Comments

[Ben Wideman]

John, I've been seriously considering trying to figure out the world of Strat-O-Matic. Any tips for getting started? I also just discovered scoresheet baseball. Have you ever played that?

Anyway, I enjoyed the article, especially that Halladay was throwing in the play offs. A good omen.

[JohnLL]

Well, good question! When I learned, I had an experienced gamer with me, teaching me the ropes. I have found that while some insist that playing by hand is best, playing the computer version is my favorite (you can play one game in 10 minutes). You can order the latest disk (2007 season is just out, I think)plus the cards (I just love to get the cards) for about $80. S-O-M has all kinds of old seasons you can play, including an All-Time roster, so you can play best of 80's (for example), or best players from each team. Gonna be in town anytime soon? :)

I have not played Scoresheet. Anyone out there have any tips for starting?

John

PS- If Halladay is pitching in the playoffs this October... will that mean the Yankees won't make the playoffs? :)

[Chris]

John,

I am glad to hear that you are enjoying games from college days! I, for one, would love to play Space Invaders again on the old 2600! I remember many a night blasting away at them!

Liked the article.

Chris