Which is better: a one-catcher league or a two-catcher league?

[cavebird]

I don't actually have a horse in this race, but there should be a separate thread about it, because otherwise, if you ask about thoughts on one or the other, you get the argument. So here is a home for that. And I'll even add a poll. And since I am old and don't really care on this issue, I am voting for the kids getting off my lawn.

[hacko]

1 catcher league - use the other catcher spot for a Utility spot meaning it could be another bat OR another pitcher.

[Gregg]

What ever makes the game fun in the over all scheme of things.

I like to play in deep only keeper leagues with 2 catchers. I want the strategy of finding meaningful end game pieces.

Some do not want to take the time or effort to dig for that meaningful 2nd catcher spot, that's fine. Some want weekly moves instead of daily that's fine.

To me 2nd catchers, middle relievers, reserve draft picks, and the UT spot are like the pawns of a chess game. Less impressive pieces but vital to winning. Want to play a game of chess where we take off one pawn and get an extra knight? We could and it might be fun, but I prefer not to as a steady diet.

[Ken]

To me 2nd catchers, middle relievers, reserve draft picks, and the UT spot are like the pawns of a chess game. Less impressive pieces but vital to winning. Want to play a game of chess where we take off one pawn and get an extra knight? We could and it might be fun, but I prefer not to as a steady diet.

Good analogy

[Fresno Bob]

deeper is better

[Hornsby]

What ever makes the game fun in the over all scheme of things.

I like to play in deep only keeper leagues with 2 catchers. I want the strategy of finding meaningful end game pieces.

Some do not want to take the time or effort to dig for that meaningful 2nd catcher spot, that's fine. Some want weekly moves instead of daily that's fine.

It's not that people don't want to dig for meaningful 2nd catchers, we're all pretty savvy and can recognize stats and trends. It's just that often there simply aren't many meaningful catchers left for that #2 spot. Looking for the least objectionable player is no fun for me...

[Gregg]

It's not that people don't want to dig for meaningful 2nd catchers, we're all pretty savvy and can recognize stats and trends. It's just that often there simply aren't many meaningful catchers left for that #2 spot. Looking for the least objectionable player is no fun for me...

Hence the one catcher league.

I am not condemning one catcher leagues, I am saying I prefer 2 catchers. I pay particular attn to rhd's rookie lists looking for catchers. I use other tools as well. Picking the right rookie is a fun part of the game.

[heyelander]

It's not that people don't want to dig for meaningful 2nd catchers, we're all pretty savvy and can recognize stats and trends. It's just that often there simply aren't many meaningful catchers left for that #2 spot. Looking for the least objectionable player is no fun for me...

yeah, I just don't feel like there's a ton of variance, or predictable variance in a second catcher... you're not finding the diamond in the rough, or taking a chance on a breakout guy, or whatever... you're just picking the 350AB guy who is available.

[Ken]

My opinion (granted it is clearly not the consensus) is that if you are looking at raw stats and finding them objectionable you're doing it wrong. Fantasy baseball is about relative numbers.

A player hitting 30 HR today is not the same as a player hitting 30 HR in the 80s. The stats we are buying are all relative to replacement level values which are regularly shifting.

The same is true for Catchers - you aren't so much buying a .250 hitter with 10 HR and 50 RBI/R, you are buying the ~3-5 extra HR and 20 extra RBI/R that you're getting vs just picking up Josh Phegley in dollar days, for example.

Those extra stats are significant, whether the raw stats look objectionable compared to other positions or not.

[Ken]

yeah, I just don't feel like there's a ton of variance, or predictable variance in a second catcher... you're not finding the diamond in the rough, or taking a chance on a breakout guy, or whatever... you're just picking the 350AB guy who is available.

Why not

[cavebird]

What ever makes the game fun in the over all scheme of things.

I like to play in deep only keeper leagues with 2 catchers. I want the strategy of finding meaningful end game pieces.

Some do not want to take the time or effort to dig for that meaningful 2nd catcher spot, that's fine. Some want weekly moves instead of daily that's fine.

To me 2nd catchers, middle relievers, reserve draft picks, and the UT spot are like the pawns of a chess game. Less impressive pieces but vital to winning. Want to play a game of chess where we take off one pawn and get an extra knight? We could and it might be fun, but I prefer not to as a steady diet.

I appreciate the analogy, but as a former chess master, it is not a particularly good one. Replacing a pawn with a knight for each side would make openings very different, but overall the game would remain more or less the same. So maybe the analogy works in a different way than intended, lol.

As for daily versus weekly moves, that is very different than deeper versus shallower leagues or one-catcher versus two-catcher (and those are different things---there are plenty of very deep one-catcher leagues). Daily isn't tougher than weekly, they are just different. I've played both, and fwiw, I prefer weekly moves. Not because it is easier. It just stops obnoxious pitcher streaming. It also keeps things more normal---instead of putting a bench guy in when a team has an off day, you just have an off day for that player, just like in baseball.

[madducks]

I think most one-catcher leagues replace that second catcher with an extra utility slot. So you can still try to create a shortage with the two-stud-catcher-strategy by putting one of them in a utility slot.

[cavebird]

I think most one-catcher leagues replace that second catcher with an extra utility slot. So you can still try to create a shortage with the two-stud-catcher-strategy by putting one of them in a utility slot.

Not all do. My main league just has 13 hitters (standard, less one catcher); we just have a ton of pitchers (6 SP, 5 RP), which more simulates a major league roster, although we are one slot short, probably because of the age of the league, lol.

[Gregg]

I appreciate the analogy, but as a former chess master, it is not a particularly good one. Replacing a pawn with a knight for each side would make openings very different, but overall the game would remain more or less the same. So maybe the analogy works in a different way than intended, lol.

Or maybe just as intended.

I picked the knight for a reason.

[amcg]

Two catchers.