Quote:
Originally Posted by BMW
But over very large periods of time, if the player's quality of fielding isn't good enough to ever become a starting player (a truly superior fielder should have some level where the manager recognizes the value to the club even if he cannot hit), why consider him an elite fielder?
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You must have missed the thread discussing Mark Belanger where somewere saying his bat didn't warrant him being an every day player even though no one could argue what a great defensive player he was.
Everyone is offense focussed and defense isn't valued so it's easy to understand why a great glove could be used just as a defensive replacement and not used as a starter.
My thinking is that good defense has a role in limiting the other teams offense. I have an OOTP team built on defense (all 8 positions are rated at 18-20 on a 1-20 basis) and it has been the main reason we have won 70% of the time for the past 6 seasons. As long as the ball stays in the park it's very hard for them to fall for hits. Our overall BABIP for the past 6 seasons has been .245 where the league BABIP has been in the .280's. Hard to lose that way.