** Sean Riley - STPC World's Champion 2015 **

Wolfman:  Hello everyone. As you know, we are occasionally lucky to interview some of the Baseball Gamers who are participating in the very difficult draft tournaments (to win) that have been offered by the Strat Tournaments Player's Club (formerly known as the Star Tournaments) over a number of years now and were victorious. For this interview, we have a chance to speak to Sean Riley who won the Portland Tournament, a face to face tournament where they drafted a team of 25 players & one stadium from the latest card set (based on the 2013 MLB season).

Sean, welcome to the Ultimate Strat Baseball Newsletter.

Sean have you always been a baseball fan since you were young?

Sean:  I've been a baseball fan for as long as I can remember. Baseball and football were my favorites growing up, though I have included other sports as an adult (English Premier League, for instance).

Wolfman:  What team did you root for and who were some of your favorite ball players?

Sean:  I liked the California Angels (one of the few local sports teams I would root for) and specifically Rod Carew and Reggie Jackson when he came over as a FA in the early 80s. But I started supporting the Chicago Cubs in 1983, because of their long history of failure. But when they won the East in 1984 thanks to my childhood favorite Ryne Sandberg, that started me on a lifetime of disappointment and misery. All self-induced, of course.

Wolfman:  Did you play baseball like in little league or high school and if so what was your best position?

Sean:  I dabbled in semi-competitive baseball as a kid, but I was never very good. I was a halfway decent second baseman, but I gave up before I hit my teens.


Wolfman:  How did you first hear about Strat-o-matic? Had you played other simulated baseball games before SOM?

Sean:  My friend Steve found SOM at a game store back in '83 (we were eleven). It only took a few games before we were hooked. I don't remember playing any other games besides MicroLeague on the computer.

Wolfman:  What is there about Strat-o-matic that you really like about the game that has you involved in tournaments?

Sean:  It's the strategy. Drafting a team, building a roster and lineup, playing a bunch of games in a weekend with like-minded players. It's the mindplay, contemplating what the opposing managers are going to do, but also calculating probabilities on the fly that keep me interested.

Wolfman:  Are you also involved in any SOM Baseball Leagues?

Sean:  I've played various FTF leagues in the past, but I'm only involved in a GM computer league now, which is a remnant of an old FTF league back where in Sacramento where I used to live and work.

Wolfman:  Do you play the board game or computer game?

Sean:  I prefer the board game, but I use the computer version for my league and to kill time between tournaments.

Wolfman:  Have you ever participated in the Skype based tournaments that are offered by STPC via Purestrat?

Sean:  I've played in a few Skype tournaments. I do like the convenience and the full schedule, but sometimes the time lag between participants can be frustrating (I tend to finish all my games long before the rest of the division). I prefer the compressed weekend and physical Face-to-Face format, but the Skype tourneys are nice every now and again.

Wolfman:  When is the first time you played in a Star Tournament?

Sean:  I actually played in the first STAR tournament in Anaheim back in 1995. We created our own tournaments since the old TBA scaled back operations in the West. I played regularly for about ten years before life and other things got in the way. I only hopped back into regular play this past season.
 

Wolfman:  Have you won other tournaments as well or was this your first time?

Sean:  This is the third tournament I've won. I played for a long time before winning my first tournament back in the early 2000s. When I came back to the fold last season I won the first tournament of the year, which of course got my competitive juices flowing again (probably to my detriment, you know :)).

Wolfman:  What type of teams do you like to draft for the Star Tournaments? What type of ball park do you prefer?

Sean:  I generally prefer pitcher's parks, as I usually find I can exert more control over the game. But it does depend on the card set and what I find to be the most viable strategy.

Wolfman:  Ok for the Portland Tournament how many teams were in your league or division? Did you have a special strategy for this tournament, or one different then before?

Sean:  The Portland tourney is usually a small affair with a regular group of guys. We had 11 this time, which is normal. Knowing it would be a big draft of either 10-11 teams in the division, I prepared accordingly. With a bigger draft, you focus on depth at certain positions and making sure you don't get screwed somewhere. In an 8 or 9 man draft, you can make mistakes and cover up for them later. In a big draft a mistake can loom much larger.

I actually went in thinking I would draft for a pitcher's park, but the circumstances of the draft dictated otherwise. Since I had been forced into a similar situation in my last draft (going with a hitter's park), I was able to pivot fairly quickly.  

Wolfman:  Can you describe what type of team you drafted, what was the strategy you used that created this winning team.  Was it a hitting team, or a pitching team?

Sean:  When I drafted Tulowitzki and Chris Davis, that cemented my offensive strategy (played in Cincinnati). Knowing I would play in a high-diamond ballpark, I set about drafting as many power hitters as I could. I ended up with 55-58 diamonds in my starting lineup vs RHP, which was far more than any of my opponents could manage.

Wolfman:  Did you have any key moments (key games or series) where if you hadn't been victorious (close calls) you might not have won the championship?

Sean:  The last game of the regular season. I went into my last 4-game series only needing to win 1 game to ensure a playoff spot (I had won 10 of my last 11 to this point). But I lost my first three and we were in a scoreless tie in the 11th inning. Chris Davis then hit a HR against a tough lefty and I hung on to a 1-0 victory. Losing that game would have ensured at least a 3 or 4 team tie for the last playoff spot, and when you get into 1 game playoffs or shootouts, anything is possible. That was the turning point, because once I reached the playoffs my team cruised basically (which was surprising).

Wolfman:  How much luck was involved in your success in this tourrnament?

Sean:  Luck is always a factor. I got really lucky in the playoffs, getting every important dice roll I needed. I think luck generally evens out, but you do need a little extra on your side to win.

Wolfman:  What tips would you give to newbies, how to build a team, what to watch out for, etc .....

Sean:  Draft to your park. Draft a balanced team, but excel in something (like having a great bullpen, great defense, etc). Most important: OBP (on-base percentage) is life.

Wolfman:  If you could summarize (this could be part of what you shared in the email before) the road to success in this tournament, what would you say?  who were the key players you drafted that made the most difference?

Sean:  Tulowitzki was a monster on defense. He saved me so many times. Same with Adam Jones, especially with his arm. Jones also won several games for me in the playoffs with his bat. Rex Brothers, my emergency second lefty in the bullpen, pitched three shutout innings in the first game of the finals which directly led to victory.

Wolfman:  Is there anything else you wish to share, that might be important for our members to know linked to your style of play or being part of these draft tournament that was not asked in our questions before?

Sean:  I was very aggressive with my bullpen, even with a fairly large leads, because I didn't want to give my opponents the chance to come back in the game. I always looked for the best match-up, and I only focused on winning the game at hand. I usually only worried about the next game when it happened.

Slainte .... Sean