Teaching a New Position

[spider_monkey_b]

I was wondering how you go about training a player at a new position? I have a 24 yr old SS who is rated at 80 defensively with hitting numbers all 50-60 except no power...problem is I already have a stud SS.

I want to train this guy as a 2B because currently he can only play SS. Is it as simple as playing him at the new position, and how long would it take?

[DougWyatt]

Originally Posted by spider_monkey_b

I was wondering how you go about training a player at a new position? I have a 24 yr old SS who is rated at 80 defensively with hitting numbers all 50-60 except no power...problem is I already have a stud SS.

I want to train this guy as a 2B because currently he can only play SS. Is it as simple as playing him at the new position, and how long would it take?

Yep.

From the manual :

Players learn new positions through practice. The best way to accomplish this is by having them play in a new position. Players learn more quickly when they play regularly in the minor leagues, or in spring training. The more a player plays at a certain position, the more he improves. After he has acquired a certain amount of experience at a position, he will be given a position rating that will display on his profile.

The defensive spectrum is as follows: DH-1B-LF-RF-3B-CF-2B-SS. Generally speaking, the further to the right, the harder the position is to play and the harder it will be to convert a player to that position. Position players can learn to play catcher, but it often takes a very long time, and they typically don't make very good ones.

Note: A player cannot "lose" positions. Once he has learned a position, he will always have a rating at that position.

(different part of manual) (Rating at position note) : It is possible for a player to be excellent defensively at one position, but poor at another. Players do tend to perform similarly at similar positions, however.

[Oxydizer]

Hey Doug, I like that Defensive spectrum thing you posted, I will write that one down and keep it for future reference.

This is what I found out buy playing the game and watching and listening to the PbP announcers on tv and radio. A firstbaseman can usually play thirdbase. 2B and SS can usually learn each others positions. Left and Right Field can interchange as well. Centerfield is a bit harder, because a CF has to cover more ground, and is usually the guy that will call of a LF or RF. sometimes a 1B & 3B can learn to play cather. Some other things I have discovered that come into play in the game, Speed is a good quality to have for your outfielders. A tall 1B is a good thing to have. and shorter, faster 2B & SS is a good quality as well. I have a catcher on my single A team who is hitting just below .400, 44 games into the season. He is a rather large fella, and I am teaching him 1b right now, he is a great catcher and it looks like he has a great future, so I wanted to give him the ability to play more then catcher, in my opinion a catcher that can also play 3B & 1B, and hits well is a great asset to a team, since you can pull him out of the cathers spot if need, put him on 3B or 1B, and if you get into a long extra inning game, put him back into the cathers spot. I saw this done by Phil Garner last year when the Astros played that 18 inning game in the playoffs.

[StyxNCa]

Just about all the catchers in my league have IF range ratings, etc as "0". I want to tech my catcher the 1b position, and used him there extensively during spring training, but nothing happened. I assume that having a "0" range will never change regardless of time played at 1b.

I want him to learn the position because of the rigors of playing catcher and the fact he constantly leads my league in HBP, I don't need him washed up by the time he is 27.

I'd like to use him at catcher for 2 of my starters however since they pitch better with him behind the plate than they do with my other catcher.