Rob's message copied so I can more easily address specific points.

>A Return to SANITY...
>Posted By Rob G
>
>I've been surfing through some of the topics, and I just had to say something...
>
>Okay... look... I'm tired of the whiners playing this game. No one is forcing you to spend your
>money playing the game.

You are correct... There is too much whining and too many ridiculous conspiracy theories out there. But there are also some legitimate concerns to be addressed.

>YES - there are issues with the game, and YES I would like them addressed... but let's post
>CONSTRUCTIVELY about the game and stop the idiocy and suspicion (Ohh... PB will make
>you lose games if you bad mouth them!!) and attacks on the PB crew.
>
>My initiation was NOT smooth into PB... I requested a team (wanted to join a league my friend
>was in) and despite assurances I'd receive the team, it was given to someone else by
>mistake. Mike kept in touch with me, and he did eventually land me in W9.
>
>Both Mike and the Tech have ALWAYS responded to my emails, ALWAYS within 24 hours...
>my questions were ALWAYS answered, and my concerns ALWAYS addressed.

My experience is that Mike ALWAYS responds within 24 hours. Dwight on the other hand must be a lot more busy because there are many times that I have to e-mail him 3 or 4 times about certain issues (Other times the response is very fast). I think Dwight's lack of responsiveness during times when he is probably up to his neck in things to do is part of the reason for some people's frustration.

>This is what I call customer service.
>
>My team is nothing special... a team with a PB value of 56 and the lofty goal of winning 60
>games this year. I regularly get thrashed, and I LOVE the game! I can't WAIT to play my
>home games.

I have good teams and bad teams so any comments I have are not due to sour grapes.

>YES - the offense is too strong, YES - the play by play is repetative and doesn't make
>allowances for range plays vs normal plays vs spectacular plays, but you know what? I DON'T
>CARE!! I look at the game, I UNDERSTAND that the play by play is there to add atmosphere
>only AND I ACCEPT IT. I understand that good decent pitchers will pitch like they played for
>the Tigers AND I ACCEPT IT. Why? BECAUSE WE ARE ALL PLAYING BY THE SAME
>RULES!!!!!

My concern is this -- what are the rules? We are led to believe that playing a CF or SS out of position is a bad thing to do. But it has been well documented that Matt Stairs (and probably others) are roaming CF making a lot of grabs. The defensive drops and the passed balls are big problems too. I can accept the fact that the OFFENSE is going to dominate the game. But if the defensive probles are as bad as they seem to be in some situations I might as well just draft 9 slugging outfielders and ignore defense...

Another issue raised in the past is the penalty for starting a reliever that did not start in MLB. I have a series coming up this week against one of the guys at telescan that I believe is a programmer. I notice he has been using Derek Lowe as a starter at times. I wonder if he knows something the rest of us don't know -- or he is just taking a risk and getting lucky.

>I am affected by the increase in offense, and the damage done to out of position players just
>as much as any of you are. No one is different, no one has a different version of the game. We
>ALL play with the same handicap!!!

Very true.

>YES it is frustrating to see my "good" pitchers sitting with eras of 6.00, but others have the
>same!

>Would I like PB to fix it? SURE!! and I bet that all the fixes are in the works... but I am ALSO a
>PROGRAMMER and I<