Is this defense terrible? Topic

tommy_cian
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Worst fielding % in league, 20 unearned runs in 19 games.  I have tried to build this team around defense, my catcher is average, his backup is a good fielder, the rest of the team I think is very good...

Johnson        1B 65 62 45 53
Hunt                2B 78 83 81 75
Suarez            3B 79 80 88 82
Knight             SS 90 83 93 86
Sexton             LF 71 49 68 60
Baez         SS/CF 87 84 85 82
Bruntlett   RF/CF 83 72 81 71 
Merrick     3B/RF 77 74 80 78

I try to give each player off 1 game out of every 2 weeks, with Knight or Baez getting the extra off day if there is one (their bats are weakest)

Back Up:
Mateo     CF/2B 86 81 57 65
Nye         1B 63 64 73 61

Nye is pretty much just a pinch hitter, who occasionally plays 1B, or rests my LF.  Mateo started last season, he is a speedster that comes in to rest CF or 2B.

First, are they below average?  Second, anything you would change? 
2/10/2011 1:01 PM
tommy_cian
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Knight has 5 errors in 100 innings at SS.

2/10/2011 1:03 PM
zbrent716
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Knight's glove is a bit below average (83 vs 85) but not terrible, especially given his range and arm.

Bruntlett, IMO, isn't quite a CF and certainly not a "good" defensive one - range and glove generally seem to outweigh a plus arm in that position. I'd prefer to see an 80 range at 2B, but Hunt is close enough to not be terrible either.

Overall, D looks solid. For now, I'd lean towards chalking it up to SSS.
2/10/2011 1:09 PM
tommy_cian
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yeah, hoping its just bad luck, and that the team will pull through.  Besides those few pieces, we seem to be above average in most other categories (1B, 3B, RF, LF, and when Baez and Knight both play). 
2/10/2011 1:26 PM
moethedog
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I think I would play Mateo over Brumlett.....He's a much better CF and their offensive numbers are quite similar.

Of course, Brumlett has some room to grow and we can't see his projections. Wereas Mateo is done growing.

But if you are playing for this season....I would give Mateo the starts.

the rest of the defensive numbers are solid.....Looks like you've played less than 20 games, so I would say that Sparky is getting you right now and that over the whole season your numbers will improve.

I build around pitching and defense, too.

2/10/2011 1:29 PM
hypnotoad
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Well, I'll ask: you don't have any lefties throwing at 3B, SS or 2B do you?
2/10/2011 1:31 PM
burnsy483
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Looks like a no.
2/10/2011 1:34 PM
tommy_cian
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I'm thinking of switching to this:

Sexton          1B 71 49 68 60
Bruntlett        2B 83 72 81 71 
Suarez          3B 79 80 88 82
Knight            SS 90 83 93 86
Johnson        LF 65 62 45 53
Baez              CF 87 84 85 82
Hunt               RF 78 83 81 75

Sexton          1B +31  + 9 +28 +20
Bruntlett        2B +  3  -  3 +26 + 6 
Suarez          3B +14  +10 +13 +12
Knight            SS +10  - 2  + 8  + 1
Johnson        LF +10 + 7 - 5  + 3
Baez              CF + 2  - 1 +25 +17
Hunt               RF +13 +33 +11 +10

Only 4 below reccomended.  Johnson and Sexton, which is the LF, which is the 1B, hmmm.
2/10/2011 1:42 PM
tecwrg
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There are two aspects to measuring defense: fielding percentage, and plus/minus.

Looking at the second, plus/minus - you are fine, at 12/1.

Looking at fielding percentage, i.e. errors, we can see who's committing the most errors:

- Knight - 5 errors at SS - glove is slightly below recs, but only by 2 points - he should be OK, chalk this up to SSS
- Sexton - 4 errors at LF - glove is six points below the recs - he's going to hurt you defensively in LF - you might want to move him to 1B and move Johnson to LF
- Merrick - 3 errors at 3B - he's above all the recs for the position, chalk this up to SSS
- Hunt - 3 errors at 2B - he's above the recs for the position except for slightly below in range, but that doesn't manifest itself as errors - again, SSS

Overall, I'd swap your LF and 1B and just ride it out.  Most of the problem just seems to be a stretch of bad luck defensively.

2/10/2011 1:48 PM
keithjs
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Just wondering...what are your fielding coach ratings?
2/10/2011 4:25 PM
mhulshult
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Not sure if you're implying this, but fielding coaches only affect development, not performance.
2/10/2011 4:26 PM
mhulshult
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FTR, here he is....Brent Lawrie
2/10/2011 4:39 PM (edited)
zbrent716
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Posted by mhulshult on 2/10/2011 4:26:00 PM (view original):
Not sure if you're implying this, but fielding coaches only affect development, not performance.
This has been the consistent "party" line from any official communication from WhatIf... but you are struggling so far (yes, very SSS) with a pretty crappy fielding coach and it wouldn't be the first time that the powers-that-be at WhatIf didn't really know/understand how their own game worked.
2/10/2011 4:56 PM
dedelman
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1.  Agree with zbrent and tec about small sample size.
2.  Even if you think that WiS is wrong about the game (and they may be) the FC isn't bad enough to account for all these errors.  Furthermore, the plus/minus is fine, which argues against it being the FC.

Small sample size.  Ride it out.
2/10/2011 5:35 PM
tommy_cian
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Yeah, I think its small sample size.  I still feel that the new changes I made will help (Johnson to left Sexton to first, bruntlett to 2b, hunt to RF...) so hopefully we are stellar in the next 50 games... 
2/10/2011 8:20 PM
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