Don't forget about baserunning

[Clambutt]

Baserunning is important... rounding the bag, etc., but speed isn't that important in high level games.

I almost forgot there are no high level player around here.  Thanks for the heads-up.

[Darky]

 Raines and Coleman are players you have to make a perfect throw on, and of course getting a good jump without giving yourself away in the batters box is crucial. Those two players can afford to be aggressive, because it is not wise to get them in a pickle/rundown. I have won many high level games with good base running. It can create momentum, especially with a double tag-up, double steal(if the pitch is a knuckle or regular speed curve) and scoring from first on a gapper combined with a bad throw over the cut off or to him. 1st and 3rd situations are huge in a tight game, and a bad decision cancreate a run. I am always aggressive but smart, because smart-aggresive base running can result in that game winning run. Some of you guys make me wonder how good you really are when I see such a display of arrogance of dismissing one of the games crucial fundamentals in RBI.

[Big Apple RBI Champ]

I am sticking with my point that runs are rarely manufactured in RBI.  If an opponent gets a runner on base, I am going to strike out the remaining batters in the inning the majority of times.  It's station-to-station baseball that i have seen among good players.  Maybe you play a different brand, but I'd be surprised if having fast guys has helped you win many ballgames.  SOME, yes.  MANY, no.  That's what I am saying it's not all-that important in quality play.

If you don't believe me then come to New York for the tournament.

[Darky]

I am sticking with my point that runs are rarely manufactured in RBI.  If an opponent gets a runner on base, I am going to strike out the remaining batters in the inning the majority of times.  It's station-to-station baseball that i have seen among good players.  Maybe you play a different brand, but I'd be surprised if having fast guys has helped you win many ballgames.  SOME, yes.  MANY, no.  That's what I am saying it's not all-that important in quality play.

If you don't believe me then come to New York for the tournament.

Station to station is how I go when I play upper echelon players. Obviously there are only two players who can steal about 70 percent of the time on quality opponents, and those steals are contingent on the speed of the pitch to home plate, cause upper level players know how to throw out runners. Those are the players that don't make bad decisions or throws. I prefer SF (anything goes) cause of pitching, but what separates me from all those dudes you strike out is my hand eye coordination. I can generate runs with base hits and balls hit in the gaps. I have two different hitting approaches in RBI:long ball and good contact-base hit ball. I never strike out more than 4 or 5 times a game max. So teams with above average speed benefit with contact ball and yes maybe an occasional bomb occurs. I am not saying there is one formula to win, it depends on your human opponent, the team you use, who you are up against, and the player you are using and are up against. It is all connected, but in high level games, I go back and forth depending on the situation and my gut feeling.

[Big Apple RBI Champ]

Dark Side, I wish I had that hand eye coordination.  I am a guess hitter who swings for fences every time except for coleman, pettis (when i play him) and ozfest.  (i don't play all-stars so no raines).  I think I guess right more than most people, and that's my advantage.  Rarely if ever small ball e.g. productive outs etc.

RBI is all mental.  Guess right, and make the other guy guess wrong.