Fielding % (like batting average except for the defense)

[canyonjoe]

If you do GC or Iscore you get defensive stats and they are worth looking at but often not a good comparison between players. Some great fielders make a lot of errors because they get to so many balls and try to make plays others wouldn't even try.

As far as calling anything that hits your glove an error that just doesn't make sense. If a SS dives for a ball and it hits her glove that's an error? The same with an OF?

 

[radness]

As far as calling anything that hits your glove an error that just doesn't make sense. If a SS dives for a ball and it hits her glove that's an error? The same with an OF?

It is my personal standard.

Yes
Even if I'm diving for a ball I still consider it a standard!
Catchers dive for the ball also woohoo!!!

@canyonjoe
What elements do you consider when interpreting a play as an error or not?
Just if the player has to dive?
Why does that matter?

 

[_MIA_]

Just if the player has to dive?
Why does that matter?

Because diving isn't "ordinary effort" ? Giving an error is subjective. For example what is ordinary effort for a superhuman catcher like you may not be ordinary effort for mere mortals...

 

[radness]

Because diving isn't "ordinary effort" ?

?

Very ordinary effort for many athletes!

*Good discussion point though!

 

[cnardone]

Fielding percentage depends on what position you are playing? Why?
...for discussion

because 3B is definitely not going to have the same fielding percentage as Centerfield. Too many hard hit balls with little reaction time.

 

[radness]

because 3B is definitely not going to have the same fielding percentage as Centerfield. Too many hard hit balls with little reaction time.

Hmmm?
So third base is closer so the incidental errors shouldn't really be accountable the same?


Are you suggesting have separate Fielding stats if you're an infielder versus if you're an outfielder. It seems to me that you could still have Fielding stats for those that want to separate Fielding stats by position. Think there is overall accountability on the field.

There is also the perspective in discussion of assigning more importance to one position over another.
Is one more difficult? Does 3rd Base always get more balls hit at them than the Outfield?

For discussion

 

[_MIA_]

Hmmm?
So are you suggesting have separate Fielding stats if you're an infielder versus if you're an outfielder. It seems to me that you could still have Fielding stats for those that want to separate Fielding stats by position. And I think there is overall accountability on the field and the difference between shots coming at you at third base and the distance you have to run four shots in the Outfield. There is still stats. For discussion

Rad, there are all kinds of defensive stats out there which do a much better job of determining how valuable a position player is to their team than fielding %..go do some googling.

 

[radness]

Rad, there are kinds of defensive stats out there which do a much better job of determining how valuable a position player is to their team than fielding %..go do some googling.

I am opening up a discussion.
Hope you get the gist of that.

Bring your own Googlie discussion towards it
(Lol or go hang out in the Jordan Bahl thread with El Oso)

Folks brought up some good discussion points!

 

[_MIA_]

I am opening up a discussion.
Hope you get the gist of that.

Bring your own Googlie discussion towards it

Ok, my contribution to the thread is that fielding % is subpar way of determining how good a fielder is (in particular at the higher levels of play) which is the point I was trying to make when comparing Jeter to Ozzie but which you obviously missed because baseball sucks and softball rules (or you are a Jeter fanboy)..or something like that.

 

[Rick M]

Fielding percentage is an unreliable metric because scoring errors is so subjective. I do GC for DD’s team, and I’m pretty stingy in handling out errors. A flat-out drop is an error, but not getting to a ball or even having one glance off the glove? Almost always a hit in my book.

There are some promising stats in sabermetrics, like Ultimate Zone Rating. But those rely heavily on data that we just don’t have for 14U softball.

From available data in GC, they could probably put together position-specific errors per inning averages, and then show a stat about how a given player compared to others playing the same position.

They could also create a hockey-style plus/minus rating. How many unearned runs scored while a given player was on the field. Of course, that would penalize the right fielder who stands by while the infield chucks the ball around…


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