In one of my games this afternoon, the following happened:

H. Duffy botches a routine flyball and H. Duffy reaches on the error

(Complete coincidene that we both had Hugh Duffy)

What was odd about it was Duffy was credited with a +/- for outstanding range.  How can it be outstanding range if it's a routine flyball?

It's WIS funny logic:  It became a routine fly ball AFTER Duffy's great range allowed him to get to it.

Or how can he be credited with both an error and a minus play.

Two separate events are occurring here, right. First, does he get to the ball? That's the range part of the play. Second, once in position, does he catch the ball? That's the fielding part of the play.

So, from the computer's perspective, he had outstanding range (+), but made just a routine catch (no plus or minus), just as believeit said above.

Actually, I think there is no relation between the description of the play and what happened, just as the home run description "barely clears the wall" is simply an embellishment and doesn't mean it would not have been a homer in a deeper stadium.  I think the computer determined he got to the ball because of his range (hence +/-), then it was determined there was an error.  Once the error was determined, the computer randomly generated error verbage which just happened to contradict the event.

Posted by pinotfan on 12/24/2010 4:18:00 AM (view original):
Actually, I think there is no relation between the description of the play and what happened, just as the home run description "barely clears the wall" is simply an embellishment and doesn't mean it would not have been a homer in a deeper stadium.  I think the computer determined he got to the ball because of his range (hence +/-), then it was determined there was an error.  Once the error was determined, the computer randomly generated error verbage which just happened to contradict the event.

Bingo.  Hence silly stuff like "Wade Boggs strikes out on a ball out of the zone."