I took these notes about a year ago; I think they are still applicable:
Quote:
Defensive Skills and Ratings
The game enforces skill minimums for each position, in order to keep players from getting a fielding rating at positions they're not suited for. On the 1-250 rating scale internally used by the game (which is what is displayed in the editor) and with a minimum experience of 100, players will get position ratings if they have these minimum skills:
Infield positions (R = Range, E = Error, A = Arm, TDP = Turn DP):
Code:
Pos | IF R | IF E | IF A | TDP
----|------|------|------|------
P * | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0
1B | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
2B | 40 | 50 | 10 | 60
3B | 40 | 40 | 60 | 20
SS | 70 | 50 | 70 | 60
* pitcher position must be set
Outfield positions:
Code:
Pos | OF R | OF E | OF A
----|------|------|------
LF | 40 | 40 | 40
CF | 90 | 40 | 40
RF | 40 | 40 | 40
The minimum values for a catcher's Catcher Ability and Catcher Arm are 10 each.
Players lacking these minimum requirements will not get a position rating no matter how long they play that position. More specifically, it seems that the game assigns an internal rating of 1 to such a player once he has reached the minimum experience of 100 for that position, but he will not get any higher rating than 1 with additional experience beyond that (up to maximum 200) and there will be no rating displayed within the game, e.g. in the player profile.
The game takes into account the "defensive spectrum" defined by Bill James as 1B-LF-RF-3B-CF-2B-SS-C in terms of increasing raw ability needed to play each position. 1B is the only position that has essentially no minimum requirements; anyone can learn to play it well enough to get a visible rating in the profile screen. The thresholds for range, error, etc, go up as you move through the spectrum. Only born middle infielders will ever be good shortstops, at least in a league with fictional players created by the game engine. Position players can learn to play catcher, but it often takes a very long time, and they typically don’t make very good ones. Converting infielders to the outfield is a much more promising proposition than the other way around.
The basic fielding skills themselves can change over time, either randomly or with practice, injury, and age. Increments for the first two influences will be significantly less than the last two causes.
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The catcher issue is judgmental. My opinion is, a poor defensive catcher better have a heck of a stick to make up for that because the game will penalize you in ways that you may not realize, not just in passed balls. One thing I would certainly do in that situation is have a great defensive backup catcher who would come into games where leads had to be protected.
Judging a player in
all facets - see my answer to the guy in the "How do you figure out where your team's weaknesses are" thread. To me, other than the player's ratings, that is the quickest way to get an idea of how good a player you have at any particular position.