Vol. II, Issue #3 - May 2014

** SOM Baseball Online - The Barnstormers Tournament**
Part III - Meet Bruce Foster, 2013 King of the Barnstormers
(Interview by Wolfman Shapiro with Bruce Foster, Barnstormers' 2013 Champion )

(Notes from the Wolfman: After the Barnstormer's Commissioner Mighty Moose helped me get setup in the tournament, I put out some messages into the Barnstormer's forum to introduce myself and to see if some of their premier players might allow me to interview them.  Shortly after this post, Bruce Foster contacted me to learn how to signup for our newsletter and I asked the champ if he was willing to be interviewed and he agreed and also gives details on most of his strategies to win. So for those of you considering to join a league using the All Time Greats or join Barnstormers, play close attention.)

Wolfman:  It is a great pleasure and we are very fortunate to have this chance to speak to the most recent champion of the Barnstormers 2013 Tournament, Bruce Foster, who represents his fellow champions in this form of on-line play with SOM Baseball.  To win the Barnstormers tournament is no easy feat as commissioner Johnson explained in his interview.  During our talk with Bruce we will discuss a bit more about the difficulties and why this is such an intense tournament, perhaps the most difficult to win in the whole of the SOM Baseball World. Now, I am told by our on-line gaming advisor (Mesquiton), who has been with this format of SOM Baseball play for some time, that Bruce is the real deal and always is a tough
opponent to play.

Bruce, I would like to welcome you to the Ultimate Strat Baseball Newsletter.

Bruce:  Thank you.

Wolfman:  Now Bruce, tell us a little about yourself. When you were younger were you a baseball fan? Which team did you root for? Did you have any favorite players?

Bruce:  I am currently a high school history teacher and a pastor of Yeshua Elohim Bible church in Mansfield, Tx. I am married with one son. I started playing baseball when I was 8 years old. I grew up in
Houston during the 60's. My father would take me to Astro games in the newly built Astrodome. My favorite player was Joe Morgan, because we both played 2b.

Wolfman:  What about playing baseball yourself - did you engage in play in little league, history or college? If so what was your best position.

Bruce:  I played in various leagues from elementary through high school. I played softball into much of my adult life. My best positions were 2b, SS, and catcher.

Wolfman:  Now tell us how did you hear about Strat-o-matic Baseball? Do you just find the on-line version on the internet or have you played the board game and/or the computer game? Did you play any simulated baseball games before you met SOM?

Bruce:  I heard about Strat when I was a kid reading baseball magazines in the 60's. When I was a kid, I played Cadaco Allstar Baseball and APBA. As an adult, I played a computer version on the old Apples,
but I forgot the name of it. I also played Imagine Sports Online for about ten years, before moving to Strat.

Wolfman:  What is there about SOM Baseball that you like - why do you continue to play this game?

Bruce:  I enjoy building teams and watching their results.

Wolfman:  Now tell us how you came to be involved with the SOM Baseball Game on-line - did you start when it was linked to TSN -- how long have you played?

Bruce:  Yes, I started their last year at TSN (2011).

Wolfman:  How did you become involved with the Barnstormer's Tournament.  Is this the first time you have won? What is there about this tournament that gets you excited, why do you like to compete.

Bruce:  This is my 2nd year in Barnstormers. My first year, I ended up as the #1 seed going into the finals, but I did not make the playoffs in the Championship round. I was also the #1 seed this year. I made the finals, won a league leading 99 games, and then won the playoffs and World Series, being down in both, 3-1 and 2-0.

Wolfman:  Now lets talk about how did you become the latest champion? What would you say are the keys to your success? Obviously building the right team via the draft and picking the right stadium have a lot to do with it?

Bruce:  The key to success is to build upon value players. I use spreadsheets and give each player a value number. I build my teams on these value numbers. I draft the highest value players in the order of my spread sheet computations.

Wolfman:  So your system calculates a value for each player in the ATG set beyond the $value given to the players themselves then? Is this spreadsheet you use a secret or could we show one to the readers as an example?

Bruce:  It is a secret.

Wolfman:  Do you think luck is involved in winning this tournament? Did you have some close calls where you might not have qualified?

Bruce:  Yes, there is definitely luck. You have to be good to get into the top 9 spots, because the luck spreads out throughout the six rounds (or six events).  If you finish 10-45, then you have to be lucky enough to win the World Series in order to get into the finals. Once the 12 final teams are assigned, then it is basically a crapshoot. I had bad rolls my first championship round I played and I did not get into the Finals. I had good rolls the second round (2013) and won. So, you have to be good and lucky.

Wolfman:  Ok, lets talk a little bit more how a team gets into the playoffs of the tournaments as it hasn't been explained fully yet.  So for Barnstormers, as I understand it you either play in either five or six events, of which each event is a league using the All Time Greats VII set of players. Each event has its own salary cap and whether you will use a DH or not. Obviously the lower the salary cap you have, the more careful you have to be how many real good players you purchase or you won't have enough founds to build your team.

Now, how is it decided who qualify for the 9 top spots you spoke about, how is this calculated. Does winning the championship of a league in one event provide that player more value or points to qualify for the 9 top spots? It seems for each victory you accumulate points - that there is a point system.  And then for the final 36 owners who qualify how does this work?

Bruce:  The first 9 owners go into the finals. The next 36 owners play in the semis in three different leagues. The WS champions of each of the three semifinals advance to the finals.

(Wolfman's Note - as Mighty Moose explained to me, the rankings of the top 9 and additional 36 owners or 45 teams is based on points. One point for each victory your teams make. Extra points if you make the playoffs of your league and more points if you are the champion of your league.  Then if an owner has played all six events (or in six leagues), they can delete their worse performance so the points are counted from their five best leagues. The owners who have the top 9 points automatically qualify for one final league (like Event #7) to decide the champion (including a playoffs).  The other 36 teams who qualify have to play another league (so 3 leagues to qualify) and the champions of these three leagues join the other 9 finalist for the champion league.  So Bruce qualified for the 2013 Barnstormer Tournament in the top 9 and then won the final league in its playoffs to be crown the champion.

Do you realize how many games an owner has to play to win this tournament - its possible they could have played in 8 leagues of 162 games and then up to another 14 in the playoffs of each league {as there are two 7 games series to determine the league champion}. Now you see why this is perhaps the most grueling and challenging tournament out in the SOM Baseball World!!)

Wolfman:  Can you give us an example (with maybe a webpage on the online gaming system) of the best team you drafted (a list of the players)?

Bruce:  The 2013 Barnstormers Championship team won 99 games and the World Series over the toughest competition. No one else in the league won over 87 games:
http://onlinegames.strat-o-matic.com/team/view/1122757

I had a 60 Million salary cap team with 5 Kings and win over 98 games:
http://onlinegames.strat-o-matic.com/team/view/812157

I had a 100 Million salary cap team win 106 games with a 337 Run Differenial
(he scored 337 more runs than his opponents):
http://onlinegames.strat-o-matic.com/team/view/386824

I had a 140 Million salary cap team with 4 Aces win 110 games:
http://onlinegames.strat-o-matic.com/team/view/812185

I currently have a 200 Million salary cap team in another league which is slated to win maybe 103 games.
http://onlinegames.strat-o-matic.com/team/view/812157

Wolfman:  Who are you favorite players (cards) in the ATG (All Time Great) VII set, that you try to get each time you build a team?

Bruce:  I like (Starting Pitchers) Maddux, Walter Johnson, Koufax, Santana, and a cheap bullpen consisting of Hassler, Klink, Linzy, and Pina. For hitters, I like: Ashby/Martinez platoon (C), Gates Brown/Shano Collins platoon (1B), Lajoie (2B), Lansford/McMullin platoon (3B), H. Wagner (SS), Gainey/J. Alou platoon (LF), Combs/Kreevich platoon (CF), Bradley/Clines platoon (RF), and Mazzili/Burns platoon (DH). However, I want to warn you that I have most of these players on my current Barnstormers first round team, and they are 17-19. However, after 36 games, we are -200 dice rolls down.

(Wolfman's Note, Bruce was discussing his team in the 2014 Barnstormers in Event #1 at the end however as this interview was conducted back in April but not published till late May, Bruce's Event #1 team had quite a turnaround, here is his final report:

My first round team started out at 17-19, but ended up winning 92 games and the
World Series. It was built upon four Aces, plus Lajoie, Wagner, Delahanty, and six cheap platoons. We did not have the best record in the league, but our pitching was dominant
in the playoffs. We swept the first round and won the World Series in six. )

Wolfman:  How do you know you are -200 in your dice rolls down and what does this mean? How can one check whether they have a positive or negative "dice rolls"? I see I can view the dice rolls for each game via the watching function but is there some other statistics kept on-line where this dice roll (+ or - value) can be viewed?

Bruce:  The dice rolls are located in simulated miscellanous stats.

(Wolfman's Note: On the roster page where your team stats are shown for your hitters and pitchers, you have various views of your stats you can see.  You can see the real-life stats of your players from the season you selected them; you default to the simulated stats of your players in the league you are in which is the collective stats; you can see the leagues simulated stats by L/R; you can stats for home and on the road; the fielding stats of your league simulated play and the final category are simulated miscellaneous stats which shows the dice rolls by players (for hitters and pitchers) and a variety of other break downs including ballpark singles and homers, SB-CS by base, base running, etc ... I didn't fully understand what all the simulated stats on the miscellaneous page meant but it can help you plan strategy for your team. So this is how Bruce was able to do the calculation above - with a minus dice roll meaning that the other team had more success with hits and getting on base then his team.)

Wolfman:  Why do you think your teams are so successful especially when all the teams are using the All
Time Greatest Players and each have their own brand of an all star type of team?

Bruce:  It always comes down to drafting better values than your opponents and then hope that you get the dice rolls.

Wolfman:  For a newbie or a manager who has never had success, what tips would you share to help such a person. I am finding that the on-line game does not work exactly as the computer game, there are some differences such as how the Fatigue factor is used and that a player can be used unlimitedly unless
of course they are injured.

Bruce: 
1. Study good teams and imitate them.
2. Ask questions to successful owners.
3. Use a spreadsheet to figure out the best values.
4. Build on four value Aces and 6-8 value platoons,
5. Play in the most small ball park possible.

Wolfman:  Can you define exactly what you meant above by the 4 Aces Concept? What do these 4 pitchers have to have on their cards to be considered an Ace? What is the 5 King Concept?

Bruce:  Aces can pitch every three days. Kings can pitch every four days. Aces and Kings are elite pitchers,
the best of the best.

Wolfman:  So if we could summarize the strategy you use to build a team in a simple and clear way, what would be the keys you follow?

Bruce: 
1. Use 9 pitchers and 15 hitters instead of 27 players. This gives you an extra 1.5M to use on the field

2. Choose the best 4 Aces that you can get. Use a cheap bullpen with strong R/L splits.

3. Use the best pitcher's park available so that your Aces can get more innings.

4. Use 6 platoons in DH leagues and 8 platoons in non-dh leagues.

5. Do not platoon at SS.

6. Use as many of the players that I listed before in my earlier answer.

Wolfman:  Are you playing in other tournaments or leagues?

Bruce:  I am currently playing in a 200 Million league, a 5-7 Million SP league, and a <5 Million per player league (note a 5-7 Million Start Pitcher League and less than 5 Million per player leagues are special leagues setup by their commission to limit the value of starting pitchers you can purchase or any player)

Wolfman:  How well are you doing there?

Bruce:  I have the best record in all three leagues.

Wolfman:  Have you tried the live draft yet - what do you think of it?

Bruce:  Yes, I entered the first 999M Live draft and won the wildcard and the World Series. I prefer live drafts, as it takes a lot of the guesswork out of the draft. My teams are much tighter.

Wolfman:  What do you like about the on-line gaming system and what things would you like to see changed or improved?

Bruce:  I like the play-by-plays and the game-engine. They need to eliminate the 3RP, 4RP, and 5RP. Dale Murray should not be allowed to pitch 350 innings per year. They also need to improve their platoon situations. Platoons do not come into the game early enough. They also need to change the players and prices at least once per year to keep the game fresh. I have been playing the same players for the last three years.

Wolfman:  Who do you see are some of the other players on-line, whether in Barnstormers or other leagues or tournaments, that you think are very good and respect?

Bruce:  Outtaleftfield is the best, because he understands the Four Aces concept. Supertyphoon next, because he understands what I call the Five Kings concept. Springer, gkhdali, rburgh, christiano,
Petrosian, Nevdully, and Semper Gumby are also very good. There are many others as well. There is not that much difference between the top 30 players or so.

Wolfman:  Have you observed any trends about what type of teams do best in the style of on-line play?

Bruce:  Yes, Pitching and 6-8 platoons wins, but the community thinks that hitting wins.

Wolfman:  Is there anything else you would like to share with our members, that was not covered in the previous questions which you feel is important for them to know linked to participating in the SOM On-line Baseball Play?

Bruce:  If Dale Murray and Hoyt Wilhelm were SP's, then they would be the best values. However, when you combine them with any SP rotation in the sim, their value diminishes. Therefore, Four Aces or Five Kings will bring you more wins than a super-reliever.

Wolfman:  So relief pitchers who are ranked 3-5 innings per relief are allowed to pitch many innings with no harm for rest is what I have heard. Also Dale Murray and one of the Hoyt Wilhelm cards have been used in this way which allows them to pitch 350 innings in a season, so this is possible in the existing game engine?

Bruce:  Yes. This needs to be changed.

(Wolfman's Note: How I have seen this can work, is if you tell the game engine to do a quick hook on all of your starters, it will take your starting pitchers out early in the game and replace them with these type of relievers who are rated R5 - the ability to pitch 5 innings in relief without getting tired.  When I drafted my team I assumed I needed a bullpen like they have in modern times where your starters goes 6-7 innings and then you bring in middle relief and relievers to hold with a closer in the 9th.  In my article for the next issue where I discuss my team, I and Mesquiton will speak more on this issue of using relievers in this crazy way which works and is very successful)

Wolfman:  Now these are my final questions which are specific to various strategies a manager can use in the game. I would like to have your opinion if the strategies can help or not help a team's success in the online SOM Baseball Game?

1) How important is having a team with good speed (to take the extra base) and to steal? Do this make a difference?

Bruce:  Not that much, but more in a pitchers park.

2) How important is it to have hitters that are able to hit Homers if such a team requires a hitters park and most of the managers choose pitcher's type of parks?

Bruce:  It is all about value. Just obtain the best value at each position.

3) What about Fielding: It is said having a 2B-SS-CF with a 1 fielding rating is key since more X-chances occur on the pitcher's card for these positions. But, is it good idea during the beginning of the game to have a good defensive team or just to have defensive replacements to bring in at the end of the game?

Bruce:  Each category is worth about 5-10 runs per year, depending upon position.

4) How important are your relief pitchers? In your strategies you suggest to get cheap relievers who are good one way - a RHRP good vs. Righty Hitters, a LHRP good vs Lefty Hitters, and a Reverse RHRP and LHRP also? Is this because you hope your starters will do most of the work?

Bruce:  My Aces sometime need help in the 9th inning, especially in pitchers parks.

5) What about the importance of a closer?

Bruce:  Not important if you have good Starting Pitching.

(Wolfman's Note: many of the best pitchers in the ATG set are rated SP 8 or SP 9 which means they don't get fatigued until very late in the game. I couldn't understand in the beginning when I gave my top starters a fatigue rating of F8 they either pitched the whole game no matter how many runs they gave up or almost the whole game - so this is why Bruce is such a proponent on Start Pitching.)

6) How to value hitters? Is it good to have a hitter with a good OB but this OB is high due to walks? Is it better to get pure hitters?

Bruce:  It is best to have good value hitters. Draft OBP at batting positions 1 and 2, and then draft value.

(Wolfman's Note: Value meaning high average hitters - even though most hitters won't hit the high average they had in real life due to superior pitchers, getting some .380 hitters or above, I saw those teams able to score some rounds - so just getting on by a walk isn't as valuable in this type of play as it is in modern baseball.)

7) How to spend your money - what percent on pitching, what percent on hitting - what is the most to spend on a pitcher or hitter? how many cheap players should you have?

Bruce:  I purchase four Aces and then spend the rest on hitting, defense, and RP.

8) Finally in your mind is the game engine better suited for a team with great pitching, defense and on-base than a team with decent pitching, defense and power hitting - speed - on base?

Bruce:  Great pitching.

Wolfman:  If one of our members which to contact you, with some questions, is this possible (optional) and if so, what is the best way to contact you.

Bruce:  Yes. They can contact me by e-mail through our church website at http://www.yebc.org

Wolfman:  In 50 years in the future, how would you like to be remember for your SOM career?

Bruce:  I want my son to remember that I won the Barnstormers and saved the Board game for him. I want others to tell my son that I was a positive influence in their life.

Wolfman:  thank you Bruce for taking time to visit with us - hopefully I will see you sometime in the future in a championship series for Barnstormer or some other league or tournament. All the best,

(NOTES from the Wolfman: Well, hopefully in this issue, for those of our members who have never been exposed to the SOM Baseball online gaming before, from the three articles we have shared, you now have a better idea of how this version of the game works, what is possible and the strategies to consider. For our members who know about this game, perhaps some new insights.  In our next issue, we will delve into more about what it takes time to become accustomed to the nuisances of this version of SOM Baseball and how it plays because even if you have had success in face-to-face leagues / tournaments or using the computer game in your leagues or tournaments, these versions won't fully prepare you to compete against the great players who are here in this world, which has been around since 2001.)

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Contained inside this exciting issue of Ultimate Strat Baseball Newsletter:
(to view the various interviews, articles, columns and special sections click on the links {underlined}
and this will take you to the appropriate webpage)
 

♦  RETURN TO NEWSLETTER MAIN PAGE

♦  INTERVIEW with RALPH POLUMBO, 2013 GUSSOMO league champion.

♦  INTERVIEW  with BILLE DEANE, MLB statistician, researcher and author.

♦  SOM BASEBALL WORLD NEWS, the current status on the Strat Tournament Players Club and SOM Tours, a final farewell and honoring of Hank Smith.

♦  INTERVIEW with CARL KIDWILER, sports photographer and collector
(Special photographs of old NY Yankee players in his collection.)

♦  QUESTIONNAIRE with HANK SMITH, former Star Tournaments Commissioner and Ambassador -- Hank was one of the most beloved individuals in the SOM Baseball World
and a key for the success of the Star Tournaments. In this questionnaire which Hank and Wolfman developed in 2007, Hank shares his secrets and keys for winning in tournament
play based on drafting your team. If any member is so inspired there is a blank form of this questionnaire you can fill out and send back to us to help us collect more data we can share at
some future time.

♦  SOM BASEBALL ONLINE REPORT with WOLFMAN SHAPIRO -- editor of "The Ultimate Strat Newsletter" and 2012 CBA Champion, the "Wolfman" explores a whole new world of playing the SOM Baseball game through the online gaming system which Strat-o-matic Offers. In 2001/2002, Strat-o-matic agreed with The Sporting News to offer a version of their game which could be played completely on-line using a web browser. In 2012, SOM told full charge of this system and there is
a whole community now of people who are involved in all type of draft leagues including a unique style of holding tournaments. In this issue, "Wolfman" explains how the gaming system works and you sign-up for a league plus he interviews the commissioner of the Barnstormers Tournament and the 2013 Champion of this tournament.  To view this three part report, click on the links of the articles to read shown below:

ARTICLE: Introduction to SOM Baseball Online (the online gaming system)

INTERVIEW with MIGHTY MOOSE (R. Johnson), Barnstormer's  Commissioner

♦  COMMISSIONER's CORNER with MARC WASSERMAN -- commissioner of the Cyber Baseball Association (CBA) continues his column about what it is like to be a League Commissioner. In this article, he continues to focus his discussion on his own league the CBA and shares the websites of other special baseball leagues linked to the Strat Alliance.

♦  RECOMMEND ON-LINE SOM RESOURCES -- On-line Strat-o-matic and Baseball related websites that offer amazing information, special tools and products to improve your game play that we strongly recommend. In most cases, we have had personal contact with these sources who agree with the principle to work together and help promote each other.

♦  BOOKS TO DIE FOR and Become a BASEBALL GURU -- This page is specifically about special books we are finding that either will expand your insights about the game of Baseball, help you in the creation of your current league teams or with your replays and learn more about the Strat-o-matic Baseball Game and Game Company's history.  We have a special arrangement with Acta Sports, who is a publisher of a number of great baseball books (including Bill James Handbooks) to offer for our members a 10% discount. We will continue to add more books to this page in the future as we uncover other gems our members should know about.

 

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Contact Us for Questions or Submissions:

Wolfman Shapiro
Founder/Editor, the Ultimate Strat Baseball Newsletter

email: wolfman@ultimatestratbaseball.com
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twitter: @StratBaseball4U