The Bench

The Staff

Team Synopsis, by Gantry

Atlanta is the Boston of NES RBI, at least in straight pitch. Their team is dominated by big-swinging righthanders, with some Hall of Fame pitchers thrown in. If you like right-handers, this is your team. Either way, Atlanta is a top-tier team and should prevail in most of their games...

Pitching

The staff ain't too great, but if you're playing straight-pitch it really doesn't matter. Spahn is pretty good and typically starts for me. Not the greatest against righties, but he gets the job done. Niekro is a soft-tosser with some decent endurance, what else would you expect? Not a big fan of the relievers, but go with Burdette over Garber. You want to utilitze both starters...

The Lineup

1. Rafel Ramirez has never batted for me, but it doesn't take expert to determine that he blows. Leadoff hitter, terrible stats and right-handed. This spot is ripe for the great Joe Adcock. Probably the best right-handed bench player in either version of RBI. Doesn't seem to get out, which is a big plus.
   
   
2. This is definitely the weak spot in the lineup for the Braves. Garrrr is pretty shitty, though the bench options are limited. I bring in Del Crandall and don't expect too much. He isn't terrible, but there ain't too much to get excited about.
   
   
3. Murphy is a stud, no doubt about it. Super pop and he's got some wheels to boot. Pretty good about staying out of the double play as well. A right-handed Kirk Gibson, if you will...
   
   
4. The RBI Programmers got Hank Aaron right - homers homers homers. He hits everything in the air, and most of the time it doesn't come down. Any righty that stays out of double-plays is good enough for me.
   
   
5. Finally, a big-swinging lefty! Eddie Matthews doesn't disappoint. He's your stereotypical big swinging left-hander... There's nothing finer, so swing away and enjoy...
   
   
6. Joe Torre keeps the Atlanta tradition going. Tons of power combined with that catcher bad. Either way, he's a very good hitter and should get you a couple dingers. aikes the three run jack for some reason, at least for me...
   
   
7. Bob Horner was known for his power, but on this team he's at the lower end of the scale. Still can get you some dingers, but doesn't have the game-to-game consistency of his teammates. There seems to be a trend with Arcade RBI 3rd baseman and misleading stats (Santo, Horner, Nettles and Cey), so at least he's consistent in that regard.
   
   
8. Like Joe Torre, most people remember Davey Johnson for his managerial skills. That's the beauty of RBI Baseball, to make sure the youth of today remember their baseball ancestors. Johnson speaks softly and carries a very big stick. You'll get plenty o' homers from Davey, one of the best natural 8 hitters in either version.