Sure, there's something to it. But how much? It seems like we'll never be able to figure out the true value through statistical analysis.

Personally I would not feel comfortable playing the 29 PC catcher full time, but in a backup situation where his playing time at Catcher is limited to 20-30 games a season, and I can add a extra big hitting pinch hitter to the bench, well that I feel good about.

I don't think you can. The best hitters still make an out 66% of the time. Unless you got the same result with the same batter against the same pitcher every time, there's chance involved. But, if you see a pattern of lower PC pitchers producing higher ERA, there's a value to higher PC.

Its something I have been toying with, the last team I showed has 2 big hitters ready to play next season and I am considering playing the low PC catchers more often to get the big bats in the lineup. All these guys below will improve when the season rollsover.

Derrick Voyles

Pasqual Hernandez

Playing these 2 guys plus my current 1st Basemen who is not a stud but a consistent 100 RBI guy

Carlos Benitez

Bill Fossum

Can't play all 4 of those guys above and the current catcher.

I recalled the numbers. 40 in PC equated to .5 in ERA. It was a pretty consistent number. Of course, the engine has been tweaked a few times in the last two years so I have no idea if it still holds true.

40 PC Difference? For example the difference between a 80 and a 40 would be .5?

Correct.

That seems high to me. A reproducible difference of 0.5 in cERA would be somewhere in the range of 60 runs per year.

By that logic, a .900 OPS catcher with a PC of 40 is worth about the same as a .600 OPS catcher with a PC of 80? I'm not saying that's out of the question, but that just seems awfully high.

I did a spreadsheet with 40 pairs of catchers from several seasons in my world and it seemed to indicate that the difference between a 40 and 80 PC would be in between .15 and .2 in cERA or about 20 runs per year. That would put the .900 OPS catcher with a PC of 40 closer to an .800 OPS catcher with an 80 PC.

I tend to think that might downplay the effect of PC just a little bit, possibly due to small sample size in the experiment that I did.

Am I missing something but wouldn't 0.5 ERA difference be a extra 81 runs a season? 162 Multiplied by 0.5 would be 81.

That's what I'm thinking. And would be about right as a 80 PC catcher tends to produce some rather pedestrian numbers while a 40 PC catcher tends to be a DH. 65-70 runs produced seems about right for the difference(as C aren't playing 162).

Quote: Originally posted by plague on 10/12/2009Am I missing something but wouldn't 0.5 ERA difference be a extra 81 runs a season? 162 Multiplied by 0.5 would be 81.

I just quickly referenced when I had a starting catcher (rather than a platoon) and he caught 1082 innings. 1082/9 = 120ish and 120*.5 = 60


And I'm not saying that the difference between 80 and 40PC isn't 60 runs. That just seems very high. Do you think a shortstop with 70/75/75/75 ratings would cost 60 runs? I don't even know the answer to that question, but it certainly begs the thought that catcher defense is more important that many people think.

A catcher is involved in every AB. How many are SS involved in? 6-7 per game.