Teaching Positions in the Majors

Jays Fan · 04-04-2002, 09:12 AM

Does anyone know whether a player can gradually learn a position by playing in the majors? For example, if I put my Triple-A first baseman at third base, he often can learn the position in the minors and get a rating from playing there everyday. However, I have never seen this happen in the majors so I am wondering if it can happen.

It interests me because my OOTP team is in a "building" stage and I have two great second basemen whose hitting is ready for the majors and I would like one to learn shortstop in the majors during the building years. Anyone who has any experience with this, please advise. Thanks!

Steve Kuffrey · 04-04-2002, 09:16 AM

Yes they can, it is not always successful however and normally takes between 20-30 games if it is going to work. You just have to play them at that position.

Carplos · 04-04-2002, 09:59 AM

20-30 days is nothing, it took Rich Aurilia til the All Star Break to learn 3B for me.

Speaking of learning positions, something I've never tried, but want to know before I try..

If you put a guy who doesn't know the position as a backup, will he learn the position ever, or does have to start?

Steve Kuffrey · 04-04-2002, 10:02 AM

As long as he plays it, but I think it may take longer(but don't know that for certain).

joshuaaaaaa · 04-04-2002, 10:34 AM

Do the games have to be continuous? For instance, if I played a guy at a new position twice a week, would he learn that position by the end of the season?

player196 · 04-04-2002, 02:54 PM

[quote]Originally posted by joshuaaaaaa:
Do the games have to be continuous? For instance, if I played a guy at a new position twice a week, would he learn that position by the end of the season?<hr></blockquote>

Yeah, I was wondering the same thing.

Steve Kuffrey · 04-04-2002, 02:56 PM

No, they don't have to be back to back they can be soread out over time.

asamford · 04-04-2002, 08:59 PM

i had a backup OF who was only rated at LF and RF, but I had no reserve OF rated at CF, so I put this guy in as my reserve CF on the depth charts, and by the end of the year he was rated at CF.

MiddleGA · 04-30-2002, 08:13 PM

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by OOTP1:
No, they don't have to be back to back they can be soread out over time.<hr /></blockquote>Sorry to dredge up an old thread but ...

It might well be spread out over time. Over at least two seasons as a matter of fact. That's how I made a 3B out of Jeff Burroughs. He played 23 games there in season one & 30+ there in season two before getting a rating. No idea whether it was the combination of 53 games that did it or the magic number of 30whatever in season two though.

Along this line though, a question -- How significant is the difference between a range of * & a range of E? The fielding percentage was .950 (although his performance was actually quite a bit better than that) either way, just wondering how much gain there really was to adding the designation in his case.

Sorry if the question is a repeat or FAQ, there's just an awful lot of posts to sort through here & it probably easy to miss something along the way.

Jon

warefreak · 04-30-2002, 08:19 PM

Curious, if somebody learns a new position but was only able to get a range of E or even D... can they gain a better range over time if you keep playing them there?

MizzouRah · 05-01-2002, 04:47 PM

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Curious, if somebody learns a new position but was only able to get a range of E or even D... can they gain a better range over time if you keep playing them there? <hr /></blockquote>I don't think so, at least I have never seen fielding ratings change. BUT it would be nice if, say your short stop was rated at D and had a great year in the field and his rating went up to a C or B and vice-versa.

I have an E rated first baseman who only had 3 errors last year, he is still rated E this year.

Todd

I Am The Game · 05-02-2002, 07:08 AM

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by warefreak:
Curious, if somebody learns a new position but was only able to get a range of E or even D... can they gain a better range over time if you keep playing them there?<hr /></blockquote>Yes, I have seen it happen. They will go down, or can possibly go up. But you can also improve defense in ST.

I had Jimmy Rollins go from "C" to "D" as my SS.
And Tim Raines Jr. is my CF, and he went from "C" to "D" in Both RF and LF, and from "B" to "C" in CF. Stupid groin injury.
So it can happen, and doesn't necassarily have to be their primary position - although you can do it in ST, but as far as I know it must be the primary position for it to happen in ST.

MrWorkrate · 05-02-2002, 07:33 AM

I was wondering about that "*" range rating too.

I had a player who had a "*" range in right field, and the scout said he was this incredible player who was a MVP every season. Yet, he had a batting rating of 4 and a power rating of 4 as well. I threw him in in a deal I was making and the team put him in right, as a starter. He started there for a season, batting a little over .200 with 11 home runs. Yet, the scout still said he was a MVP caliber player.

I switched his rating from "*" to "A", and the scout changed his mind. He then considered him to be "average".

So... I'm not sure what exactly a "*" range does, but I'm pretty sure it confuses the hell out of scouts

MiddleGA · 05-02-2002, 11:20 AM

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by TrueCardinalFan:
BUT it would be nice if, say your short stop was rated at D and had a great year in the field and his rating went up to a C or B and vice-versa.

I have an E rated first baseman who only had 3 errors last year, he is still rated E this year.
<hr /></blockquote>Am I mis-remembering something about defensive rating or do the letters refer only to range, while the .950 (or whatever) refers to the likelihood of making an error?

In your shortstop example, I wouldn't neccessarily expect his letter-rated range] to increase, but it would be great to see some movement in the actual fielding percentage, reflecting reduced errors.

Or quite possibly, I'm just confused about what the ratings are supposed to indicate.

Andy · 05-02-2002, 11:23 AM

MiddleGA,
I think you are right. The letter is only for range.

04-04-2002, 09:12 AM	#1
Jays Fan Minors (Single A) Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Toronto Posts: 70	Teaching Positions in the Majors Does anyone know whether a player can gradually learn a position by playing in the majors? For example, if I put my Triple-A first baseman at third base, he often can learn the position in the minors and get a rating from playing there everyday. However, I have never seen this happen in the majors so I am wondering if it can happen. It interests me because my OOTP team is in a "building" stage and I have two great second basemen whose hitting is ready for the majors and I would like one to learn shortstop in the majors during the building years. Anyone who has any experience with this, please advise. Thanks!

04-04-2002, 09:16 AM	#2
Steve Kuffrey Administrator Join Date: Jul 1999 Location: S.E. TN - Georgia born and raised Posts: 17,036	Yes they can, it is not always successful however and normally takes between 20-30 games if it is going to work. You just have to play them at that position. __________________ Steve Kuffrey DABS Atlanta Braves - 2008 Eastern Division Champ *DBLC Atlanta Braves - 2011, 2014 East Division Champ, 2012, 2013 NL Wildcard Baseball Maelstrom-Montreal Expos-2013 Tourney winner, 2014 WC Team Sparky's League - Tampa Bay D'Rays Epicenter Baseball League - Astros 2014 The CBL Rewind - Phillies '95

04-04-2002, 10:02 AM	#4
Steve Kuffrey Administrator Join Date: Jul 1999 Location: S.E. TN - Georgia born and raised Posts: 17,036	As long as he plays it, but I think it may take longer(but don't know that for certain). __________________ Steve Kuffrey DABS Atlanta Braves - 2008 Eastern Division Champ *DBLC Atlanta Braves - 2011, 2014 East Division Champ, 2012, 2013 NL Wildcard Baseball Maelstrom-Montreal Expos-2013 Tourney winner, 2014 WC Team Sparky's League - Tampa Bay D'Rays Epicenter Baseball League - Astros 2014 The CBL Rewind - Phillies '95

04-04-2002, 10:34 AM	#5
joshuaaaaaa All Star Reserve Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Las Vegas, NV Posts: 633	Do the games have to be continuous? For instance, if I played a guy at a new position twice a week, would he learn that position by the end of the season? __________________ Baltimore Monarchs-GUBA Baltimore Orioles-ORB2 "One of the greatest discoveries a man makes, one of his great surprises, is to find he can do what he was afraid he couldn't do." ~Henry Ford ~

04-04-2002, 02:54 PM	#6
player196 Minors (Single A) Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Medford, OR Posts: 59	[quote]Originally posted by joshuaaaaaa: <strong>Do the games have to be continuous? For instance, if I played a guy at a new position twice a week, would he learn that position by the end of the season?</strong><hr></blockquote> Yeah, I was wondering the same thing.

04-04-2002, 09:59 AM	#3
Carplos Hall Of Famer Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Idaho Posts: 2,907 Infractions: 1/0 (0)	20-30 days is nothing, it took Rich Aurilia til the All Star Break to learn 3B for me. Speaking of learning positions, something I've never tried, but want to know before I try.. If you put a guy who doesn't know the position as a backup, will he learn the position ever, or does have to start?

04-04-2002, 02:56 PM	#7
Steve Kuffrey Administrator Join Date: Jul 1999 Location: S.E. TN - Georgia born and raised Posts: 17,036	No, they don't have to be back to back they can be soread out over time. __________________ Steve Kuffrey DABS Atlanta Braves - 2008 Eastern Division Champ *DBLC Atlanta Braves - 2011, 2014 East Division Champ, 2012, 2013 NL Wildcard Baseball Maelstrom-Montreal Expos-2013 Tourney winner, 2014 WC Team Sparky's League - Tampa Bay D'Rays Epicenter Baseball League - Astros 2014 The CBL Rewind - Phillies '95

04-04-2002, 08:59 PM	#8
asamford Banned Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Snellville, Georgia Posts: 1,769	i had a backup OF who was only rated at LF and RF, but I had no reserve OF rated at CF, so I put this guy in as my reserve CF on the depth charts, and by the end of the year he was rated at CF.

04-30-2002, 08:13 PM	#9
MiddleGA Minors (Single A) Join Date: Apr 2002 Posts: 77	</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Originally posted by OOTP1: <strong>No, they don't have to be back to back they can be soread out over time.</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Sorry to dredge up an old thread but ... It might well be spread out over time. Over at least two seasons as a matter of fact. That's how I made a 3B out of Jeff Burroughs. He played 23 games there in season one & 30+ there in season two before getting a rating. No idea whether it was the combination of 53 games that did it or the magic number of 30whatever in season two though. Along this line though, a question -- How significant is the difference between a range of * & a range of E? The fielding percentage was .950 (although his performance was actually quite a bit better than that) either way, just wondering how much gain there really was to adding the designation in his case. Sorry if the question is a repeat or FAQ, there's just an awful lot of posts to sort through here & it probably easy to miss something along the way. Jon

04-30-2002, 08:19 PM	#10
warefreak Minors (Single A) Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Tacoma Area, WA Posts: 69	Curious, if somebody learns a new position but was only able to get a range of E or even D... can they gain a better range over time if you keep playing them there? __________________ "I before E except after C. Our Society is weird." -Unknown

05-01-2002, 04:47 PM	#11
MizzouRah Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Troy, Mo Posts: 6,266	</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Curious, if somebody learns a new position but was only able to get a range of E or even D... can they gain a better range over time if you keep playing them there? </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">I don't think so, at least I have never seen fielding ratings change. BUT it would be nice if, say your short stop was rated at D and had a great year in the field and his rating went up to a C or B and vice-versa. I have an E rated first baseman who only had 3 errors last year, he is still rated E this year. Todd

05-02-2002, 07:08 AM	#12
I Am The Game All Star Reserve Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Red Sox Nation Posts: 691	</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Originally posted by warefreak: <strong>Curious, if somebody learns a new position but was only able to get a range of E or even D... can they gain a better range over time if you keep playing them there?</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Yes, I have seen it happen. They will go down, or can possibly go up. But you can also improve defense in ST. I had Jimmy Rollins go from "C" to "D" as my SS. And Tim Raines Jr. is my CF, and he went from "C" to "D" in Both RF and LF, and from "B" to "C" in CF. Stupid groin injury. So it can happen, and doesn't necassarily have to be their primary position - although you can do it in ST, but as far as I know it must be the primary position for it to happen in ST.

05-02-2002, 07:33 AM	#13
MrWorkrate All Star Starter Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Raleigh, NC Posts: 1,262	I was wondering about that "" range rating too. I had a player who had a "" range in right field, and the scout said he was this incredible player who was a MVP every season. Yet, he had a batting rating of 4 and a power rating of 4 as well. I threw him in in a deal I was making and the team put him in right, as a starter. He started there for a season, batting a little over .200 with 11 home runs. Yet, the scout still said he was a MVP caliber player. I switched his rating from "" to "A", and the scout changed his mind. He then considered him to be "average". So... I'm not sure what exactly a "" range does, but I'm pretty sure it confuses the hell out of scouts __________________ I used to come here a lot. Now, not so much.

05-02-2002, 11:20 AM	#14
MiddleGA Minors (Single A) Join Date: Apr 2002 Posts: 77	</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Originally posted by TrueCardinalFan: <strong>BUT it would be nice if, say your short stop was rated at D and had a great year in the field and his rating went up to a C or B and vice-versa. I have an E rated first baseman who only had 3 errors last year, he is still rated E this year.</strong> </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Am I mis-remembering something about defensive rating or do the letters refer only to range, while the .950 (or whatever) refers to the likelihood of making an error? In your shortstop example, I wouldn't neccessarily expect his letter-rated range] to increase, but it would be great to see some movement in the actual fielding percentage, reflecting reduced errors. Or quite possibly, I'm just confused about what the ratings are supposed to indicate.

05-02-2002, 11:23 AM	#15
Andy Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Dayton, OH Posts: 2,270	MiddleGA, I think you are right. The letter is only for range.