RBI Tournament 2002 Preview

[Gantry]

In case anyone missed the main page update:

http://dee-nee.com/rbi/2k2preview.shtml

[mookiewilson]

2002 is the year of Potsie.  My pick for 2002 Tournament Champion.

[Gantry]

That's right Mookie and everyone else, keep on picking Potsie to win it all.  He'll fold under the pressure of being on top...

He beat me three times again on Wednesday, that prick.  He must have 10 straight on me....

[GPines]

Just read the tourney rules, sounds like you guys have a fun day planned. Sounds like the competition will be very tight. Good Luck to all.

[B]

i will say that although he is using the tigers and is on a roll...potsie may not have the experience to take it all the way....i may be going with the "darkhorse" but i think that gantry will be taking the title this year...i just think he really has the experience and the alcohol tolerance to take his second straight belt

[Gantry]

Thanks for the vote bban, I'll take all the confidence I can get....

[Lips]

After hiding from the RBI forum for awhile, I'm back!!  Of course I'll be away again soon, as I'm off to Vegas this weekend to rest my fingers from the Nintendo, one week before the tourney.

But anyways, after prepping Boston to be my #2 team for months and months...they hit rock bottom around a month ago after I got back from the wrestling NCAAs.  Boston was working out more than fine before the NCAAs, but I just haven't been able to do anything with them since.  Then, the Cali Boys entered the picture...Yes, the same boys that only scored three runs for me in a 9-inning game at last year's tourney.  And they are the same boys that will back up my Detroit Rock City in 10, count them 10 DAYS!!!!  Cali hasn't been getting slaughtered as much as the Bo Sox, and they've also been putting up decent numbers.  Take tonight for example...  Although I lost the first game against Pots 19-15, Cali still put up 15 runs...and I think 12 homers.  One of the biggest reasons I lost the game is that I left Witt in an extra two innings.  In the seventh and eighth innings, Potsie combined for 12 of his 19 runs.  I was stubborn, but that's ok...it was a learning experience.

The second game I just schlacked Pots.  Pots played with Boston, though.  I opened with a 6-run first, only to follow it up with a 10-run second inning.  Pots stayed in the game until the fourth when I had another 6-run inning.  The game ended, 22-9, and I had 15 homers.

So, all-in-all, when placing bets on the champ-to-be...beware.  My A-game will be present, and I'll be in the finals.  But screw just being in the finals.  That's not enough, as I was there two years ago on my birthday when I lost.  This year, there will be no holding back, no excuses, and no going home a loser.  I'm the only one in the house who hasn't won the Big Game yet.  I'm due, and I won't be denied.

Good Night!!

[Gwynn3k]

i can see that with boston, its all or nothing in straight pitch.  Yes, they have power... on the other hand they are the slowest team in the game.  the only way to get an extra base hit is to hit it over the wall.  they hit into a ridiculous amount of double plays.  with clemens throwing straight, there is another advantage lossed.
i would pick another team for the tourney.

[Gantry]

Lips is mixing up the strategy for the tourney, I like it!  Haven't played his Cali in awhile, should be interesting...

I have a couple new tricks up my sleve for the tourney as well, but nothing as drastic as bringing in a new team.  10 days, solid!!

[guy49]

Potsie will not win the tournament... ...and here's why.  He is winning in droves right now, but come tournament time things tighten up and the same things that were working for him these past months will soon leave him.  Does he have that extra trick up his sleve?  No. Why? because he has been winning so much of late and hasn't had a reason to think up some alternate strategies.  Also I think the rest of you guys are baiting him with these non-tournament wins, not tipping your true R.B.I. form until the tournament begins.  My money is on Gantry, would have been on Lips, but going to Vegas so close to tournament time will create a thin layer of rust which will keep him from advancing to the finals.
There you go, I have never met or seen any of you play but it was fun to analyze the tournament, good luck to all.

[Lips]

guy49, I thought about the same thing (The Rust Factor)around a month ago when we set the date for the tourney.  But the thing with me is that I usually get my games in on Tuesday and Wednesday nights.  I played a couple games last night and I'm hoping to get a game or two in tonight, and then back again next Tuesday and Wednesday.  Sure it would be nice to get a couple games in on the weekend, but at the same time...I don't want to play too much before the Real Deal...

Who knows, my superstitious ass might have a can of WD-40 nearby when the tourney begins.

You just never know...

[Gantry]

I'm in the Lips camp... Too many games against the opponent so close to tourney time is a bad thing.  Perhaps I'll hire a training partner for the next week.  Nick would probably do it for food....

[Gantry]

Well, tonight was one of the rare good nights for me...  Game 1 Postie slaughtered me in 3 innings.  I had to wait a LONG time to play (Sperling actually got a game in tonight) but it was worth it.   I told Pots before the game that Cali was ready to go, and it ended up a 25-15 slaughter in the 8th.  Lips comes by, I give him choice of team, making it my Det vs his Cali....

No contest, Detroit is so idiot-proof...  I haven't played them in awhile but any time I swung poorly it ended up over the center field fence.  Another slaughter in the 8th (I believe) with Detroit, a simliar score to the last game...

Confidence is much higher after tonight, look out come tourney time...

[Gwynn3k]

that is true... any old jackass can win with the tigers...  it takes skill to shut them down and it is tiring... cant take too much off that lineup.

[GPines]

Yesterday I got some RBI in, but my Florida buddies out here wouldn't let me play unless it was straight pitch. So I played and won 1 game and lost 2.

I hate the straight pitch game. I'll tell you all it does is even out the playing field. Anybody can win, the computer assistance also plays a big part,  and the game takes about 25 minutes to play.

I think it is fun to play maybe for a drinking game, but for straight out competition you got to play curves.

Gantry it's never to late to give it a try and find out who is the real champion among your bunch. But I guess part of the skill in your tourney is who can handle all the alcohol and still play. But you guys should play some curve-style games sometime. Good Luck to all the players.

[B]

id agree with the previous poster and state that it may breathe new life (as if it needed it) into the game if you try a curve pitch tourney....but this is not to take anything away from the usual death tourney...im looking forward to the updates...

[Gwynn3k]

playing straight pitch is a crap shoot... the one thing pines and i were talking about the other day is that the lefty lefty matchup is an a bigger advantage in straight pitch cause you can take your pitcher all the way to the left on the rubber,  press a and paint the black with a pitch lefties struggle to hit.  for righties, the same pitch is not as effective.... why, i dont know... it is one you might want to put on the faq.

[Gantry]

I will give the curve game a shot at some point, don't worry.  It might take awhile before you see a curve tourney, but it's all about baby-steps...

The lefty-lefty matchup is a huge advantage in RBI, no lefty batters are as effective against lefties than righties, even Potatoes.  That matchup is one of the few places where the actual power numbers make a difference in RBI.  The big-power, small-HR lefties of the world (Spilman, Sheridan, WIlfong) suck ass against lefty pitchers....

The reason why a lefty is so effective against lefties is that a lefty typically has a natural left curve when throwing straight.  This trails away from a lefty (leaving you with the very end of the bat) while against a righty it ends up going inside, leaving you plenty of bat area to smack it with...

[Gwynn3k]

that and the umpire calls the pitch on the outside corner against lefties whereas it is a ball agaisnt righties.

[GPines]

I have said many times how I dislike the straight pitch game, but that is the only way I get to play right now, but we had a great game the other night.

Bo vs Dt,  I won with the Tigers, final score 25-24. combined 30 homeruns, 15 for each team. It was a big change for me, used to 4-3 ball games.