The Starting Lineup

The Bench

The Staff

Team Synopsis, by Gantry

California is my team, as I use them a large percentage of the time. They have a good relieving core and the best lefthanded power in the game. They also, taken as a whole, have the cheeziest mustaches in all of RBI. It is an undisputed fact that Reggie Jackson (potatoes) is the best non All-Star in the game, good for at least two homers a game. California is pretty much the only team (except maybe Boston) that can play .500 ball against Detroit.

Pitching

First and foremost, you have to have Donnie Moore start the game for you. He will blow every save when closing, but typically gives you 3-5 good innings as a starter. There's also a certain level of excitement when pitching with a dead guy. You must be careful not to leave him in for too long, as the dead need their rest. I usually sub him for Corbett after the fifth inning, but will sometimes keep him in afterwards on Probation. Corbett is great at keeping the ball on the ground, although Tony Armas absolutely destroys him. I typically use Don Sutton when Moore is off his game and must be taken out early. Lately Sutton has been getting the occasional start and can actually provide some offense every once in awhile. Mike Witt is the closer and should only be brought in during a save situation. It may sound superstitious, but he'll get rocked if you bring him in too early, trust me.

The Lineup

1. Sub Rob Wilfong for Pettis. Some like to keep Pettis in and keep hitting deep grounders to the shortstop, hoping to beat out the throw. But besides the gimmick hits, Pettis absolutely blows. Awesome speed but he never gets on base and rarely, if ever, goes yard. Rob Wilfong is the man - decent speed, a good mustache and tons of power for a guy with three homers. As with most lefties, Wilfong rarely hits into the double play. For some reason he fouls out more than any other Angel, but he's a solid one hitter, especially against Potsie. The keys with Wilfong are to get a good swing every time (he won't get you too many Lockharts) and to avoid lefty pitchers at all costs.
   
   
2. Doug DeCinces is your typical right-handed power hitter - good for a homer a two a game, but very prone to the double play. I still like Dougie and he's known to pull out the big game for me. His first at-bat is usually a precursor to what he'll do for the rest of the game. He's the most consistent (and therefore the best) right-handed Angel in the lineup.
   
   
3. Meat kicks ass, tremendous power and rarely gets out with runners on. Always plays a quality game and is the perfect hitter to have before Reggie. Along with Kirk Gibson, Joyner is probably the most consistent hitter in the game.
   
   
4. Reggie Jackson is the best player in RBI, period. So much power it's almost unfair and he absolutely drills everything. When he hits the ball, you'll know right away it's gone. He and Darrell Evans are the masters of the six drink homer (one that is so deep you never see the ball on the way down), and gets his fair share of singles too. My favorite hit with Reggie is the Retreat - start at the top of the box and move down while the pitch is being thrown. You'll hit the ball halfway down and it typically turns into a 500 foot shot to left-center field. Nobody hits deeper center field homers.
   
   
5. Brian Downing is another token right-handed player, although a bit worse than Dougie because of his god-awful speed. He is without a doubt the most double-play prone hitter on the team. Sometimes you are glad when he pops out with runners on and I'll always take the strikeout if he's in a grand-slam situation. Very inconsistent with homers from game-to-game, but has his moments. If he were a lefty, he'd be 100 times better.
   
   
6. Never keep Bobby Grich in the game, always go for the great Ruppert Jones. The second-best pinch hitter in the game (after Harry Spilman of SF), although I am biased since I always use California and hit way better with lefties. But his power is absolutely amazing, topped on Cali only by Reggie. Rarely gets out and has decent speed, making him the second best hitter on this team.
   
   
7. Dick Schofield is called the X-Factor for a good reason. When he plays a good game, I almost never lose. Unfortunately for me, he doesn't like to show up everyday. Some games he'll jack three dingers, while in others he won't hit it out of the infield. Dickie is tremendously important because his outs lower the productivity of the 8 and 9 hitters. Just hope he's brought his A-Game when you use him.
   
   
8. Who you choose to sub for Bob Boone is a matter of personal taste. Burelson is a better all-around hitter and faster. Hendrick has the power and can hit some monster homers, but is very inconsistent. He grounds out to third so many times it drives you nuts, especially with a runner on. Lately I've been using Burelson exclusively and saving Hendrick for the 500-foot pinch hit homer (which is his speciality), but it's really a question of power vs. consistency.