Defensive Range

NDD- Check out the topic "Touches" under the Fielding and Defense forum.

There’s little doubt that of all the metrics available in baseball, the fielding ones tell the least about players, and that’s something just about everyone can agree on.

As for RF, I wish I could shed some light on it, but I’m afraid all I can tell you is how to compute it, not give a dissertation on why anyone thinks it’s a stat with merit. There are a lot of folks looking for a new or “better” fielding metric, but as far as I know, nothing that could easily be done at the HS level is available, and believe me, I’d be using it if there were, because fielding stats are pretty bad. Heck, even I’ve struck a blow to improving the defensive stats with “touches”, weak as that blow may be.

All I can do is suggest you do some reading up on RF, because there are at least 2 ways to do it.

Good luck!

After I’d responded to the OP, I got to thinkin’ about defensive stats some more, and about “touches” and what they meant as well. Then as I was scoring yesterday’s game, I had a Senior moment! My program now accounts for pickoff throws and fakes, and the way I count them is by a left mouse click on the runner for a throw, and a right one for a fake.

Anyhoo, a runner known for stealing bases reached, and it began. Pitcher throws over. Pitcher throws over again. Pitchout and fake by catcher. Another throw over. And when the batter was out, it started all over again for the next batter. Then I had the thought that if it were a HS game, it was just about time for one of those throws to go out into the right field foul area, and the runner end up on 3rd. Guess what? That’s exactly what happened! Then it came to me. If I give a fielder a “touch” when he fields a hit, why doesn’t he get a touch when he participates in a play that could certainly lead to an out or an error?

So, this morning I made a little change in my program, and now both the player who makes a throw in an attempt to pick off a runner, and the player who fields the throw get a touch. After all, if they can get dinged with an error or credited with a PO or asst, why not make a total fielding chance?

Ya know, when the computer’s doing the work, its sure a lot easier to get creative .