How to build a winner 101

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Pharmabro
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Joined: Sun Nov 22, 2020 8:32 am

How to build a winner 101

Post by Pharmabro » Thu Jun 10, 2021 3:13 am

I've always played armchair GM. Rosterbated with folks on what the smarter move was, etc., etc. As a student of the game, I have admired the ways winners have been built and won. There seems to be a golden rule involved in that you can't have any of the 3 phases be absolutely pathetic. I also see a trend in being dominant in at least 1 phase of the game.
Let me show you what I mean:

2015 KC Royals (44.1 WAR)
98 OPS+ offense
112 ERA+ defense but absolute dominant BP top 5 BP guys
110 ERA+
155
448
197
132

The 4 in bold all had between 60 and 70 innings, they had the ability to shut you down late in games, and that appears to have a little extra win rate that is not covered very well in terms of WAR. They had league average starters and position players but won the WS based on BP domination. One of a few teams that won without an "ACe" best 3 starters 2.8, 2.7, and 2.2 WAR.

2001 D-Backs (48.5 WAR)( 2 HOF level Aces each pitched in 3 games in the 7 game series 2 starts for Randy and 3 for Curt.)
94 OPS+ offense
121 ERA+ defense
Randy 188 ERA+ x 250 innings
Curt 157 ERA+ x 257 innings

2017 Astros (53 WAR)
123 OPS+ offense
99 ERA+ defense ( I know Verlander was added mid-season and went all Randy J redux and helped them win but still.)

1989 A's (48.7 WAR)
104 OPS+ offense
119 ERA+ defense
the rotation was a bit above average
ERA+
142, 123, 112, 100, and 85
Eckersley led the bP with a 239 ERA+, and Larussa loved to play match-ups and had a good BP to do it with.
The offense had a trick Henderson hitting 1st had a .425 OBP followed by Carney Landsford and a .398 OBP.

Early to mid 90's M's teams were fatally flawed in two areas.
BP and refusing to add another Ace or #2, or just have at least ERA+ 100 ish pitchers filling out the rotation.
2001 M's ?
OPS+ 117
ERA+ 117
They had a lot to offer with the 116 wins and 67.1 WAR but, could they have won against the D-Backs? I don't think so! Moyer(50 WAR) was about as good as a pitcher could be without being great. Garcia (34.1 career WAR) made a couple of all-star teams, but as a 107 career, ERA+ indicates he was never an "Ace." Those were the guys you had to pack into the rotation behind Randy to Win. The 2001 BP was a good BP, complete with a closer and several good set-up guys that could rival other good BPS on this list. The 2001 team needed Randy to beat (Randy-Schilling).

What is so frustrating is there are 3 rules I have seen when I see WS champions.
No pathetic aspects you can't have any area of extreme weakness
Dominate at least 1 aspect, Aces, ( Bp lights-out), etc
Call it health, wealth, and design.

This is the most frustrating part of the story back in the mid-'90s that Roger Clemons wanted to team up with Randy in Seattle. The thing is, Seattle always had a fatal flaw. In the 90's it was an empty rotation behind Randy and / or BP. After Randy left, you had filled out the supporting cast but no Ace for the playoffs. The Yankees got Jeter, Posada, Mariano, Williams, and Petite VS M's with Jr, Randy, AROD, Ichiro, Edgar, and Co. The Yankees added Cone via trade and bought Tino.

Health, Wealth, and design. The M's could of and should have added Cone in 1995; he could have had us talking about the M's 2-3-4 WS run from the '90s to the early 2000s. Nope, the management did not have the guts to go for the glory.

That is my .02$.

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