UZR and Fielding Metrics

[bhurst99]

Re: UZR and Fielding Metrics

As far as replicating outfielders taking a bad read or poor route on a flyball, I wonder if a moving catch position indicator would help. For instance, when a ball is first hit you get that little baseball symbol that indicates where the ball is going to land. Maybe for someone who isn't good at catching flyballs, that indicator would move a bit from its original position as you move toward it. You would then have to adjust to the new target. With a really poor fielder it might move so much that they'll actually miss the catch.

Interesting idea.

[soxnut1018]

Re: UZR and Fielding Metrics

I like the idea of players being bad at positions that they are not familiar with, but it would be cool if players could become familiar with a new position over time. Say you have a log jam at SS and lack depth at CF. Maybe you could send a young SS prospect to the minors and have him work at being a CF. Sure he would suck at first, but maybe he would learn and become a solid defensive CF.

[Skyboxer]

Re: UZR and Fielding Metrics

I like the idea of players being bad at positions that they are not familiar with, but it would be cool if players could become familiar with a new position over time. Say you have a log jam at SS and lack depth at CF. Maybe you could send a young SS prospect to the minors and have him work at being a CF. Sure he would suck at first, but maybe he would learn and become a solid defensive CF.

You could just use the already included training system but make it player specific instead of by position. Also tweak it some so it doesnt advance guys too quickly.

[cardsfan2222]

Re: UZR and Fielding Metrics

I don't like that you can throw anyone in the outfield and not have to worry about bad defense. Adam Dunn is actually a great outfielder in this game because he has a very strong arm. He doesn't take bad routes to the ball, or misplay fly balls like he does in real life. His only real flaw in the game is he is so slow that he might not get to a ball in the gap in time, but he makes up for it with his throwing ability. I would much prefer to have him struggle at fielding, so it would force me to consider taking his bat out of the lineup late in a game for a better defensive player.

[AtlBraves09]

Re: UZR and Fielding Metrics

Glove would be a horrible rating to begin with and I think that's part of the issue with fielding attributes - they are way too generic.

A universal scale, at least one that I'm talking about, would weigh everyone on close to a hundred, maybe more, factors in fielding.

We're talking about: agility to the left/right, reach to the left/right, reaction time to left/right, reaction time to ball in front, back peddling, arm strength when moving away from first base, arm strength momentum moving forward, arm strength on quick throw, and on the list goes.

From that list alone you can start seeing which guys should play short, which third, second or even first (though first will need another set of factors as well).

I think we forget that guys aren't just 3B. They are infielders that play 3B better than somewhere else.

The penalty should be in how that player's individual skill sets lend to the other positions. You need certain skills to play 3B at a Gold Glove caliber level. Those skills are somewhat similar to SS, but there are more factors that come into play when playing short that a slow, immobile 3B may not be able to handle. Why are guys 2B and not SS? Sometimes it's arm strength. A lot of the times we're talking arm strength from deep in the hole in short.

-I'm definitely not saying that glove should be a criteria for rating fielders but, like you said, the vagueness of the categories now are not much different. I think that the answer to the problem with outfielders is a ball marker that appears at different times depending on the calibur of fielder. It is the best way to represent late breaks and that is what separates the good outfielders from not so good outfielders. Great outfielders get great jumps. Infield would be more difficult however, I think there needs to be an attribute for fielding both back hand and glove side ground balls. Among others that have been mentioned here. Also, throwing on the run and quickness, getting rid of the ball on both double plays and routine plays. And thats just for middle infielders!

[Two Seamer]

Re: UZR and Fielding Metrics

Bumping this out of sheer excitement at the prospect of a sensibly revamped defensive rating system.

If these fellas increase the number of advanced statistics they use -- both defensively and offensively -- for 2011, I will be one of the happiest men on the planet.