OF vs. IF corner D

[honestiago1]

I am becoming more convinced as I play online at at home that perhaps OF corner defense is more important than IF corner D. When playing the computer game, there are several instances in every game where I have to choose to advance on OF's arms. There are hits, flyballs, and instances of stretching a 3B into a HR (twice in 10 games I had a chance to turn a triple into a homer).

The equivalent of this test (I believe) would be corner rating versus bunts and plays at the plate on on squeezes, or covering bunts, or making the 5-2-3 DP, for instance. This isn't going to come up as often as advancing to third on a base hit, or home on a double. While it is true that corner X's get hit more than OF X's (corners tends to be checked on d-rolls of 10 or 4 in the dice game; OF's on 3's and 11's), there are games where no X checks are made on the corners (or very few checks, as the probabilities indicate). By contrast, someone's arm always gets checked in the typical game (atypical games=pitchers clearly dominating).

So, on the whole it seems to me that OF's with cannons can be VERY valuable in cutting down run production -- much more valuable than corner IF's with great range. In fact, the corner IF with the great e-rating might have just as much value as the hoover who boots it more often. A 4e7, in other words, trumps a 1e15, because the splits for 1B are wide. Same with 3B. I have absolutely no math to back this up, but I wuold guess that corner double plays result more from batter's cards than anything else, while middle IF double plays are split more evenly (thanks to SS, 2B X-ratings on either 7's [d-rolls], 9's&10's [this combo is usually seen, if the 7 is not], and sometimes 6's.

Now, this is new to almost no one here, I know. It's just something I really noticed recently. See, I just purchased the latest computer game and am playing an all-time league. Rocky Colovito's -4 arm has already saved me several runs, so I have SEEN the arm in action in the mechanics of the game, and it has kept the bases from being emptied on more than one occassion.

So the following really does apply, I think:

-IF corner defense is a luxury; you want hitting from these positions in any case;

-OF corner defense is important as far as the arm rating is concerned. Poor range will lead to extra base hits, however, and it is not advisable to play a pair of 4's all year long in the OF unless they are REALLY hitting and you have at least one really good defensive replacement. You can get away with a 4 full time if he hits and has a good arm (Canseco).

[YountFan]

I agree but you can live with a plus arm in LF

[honestiago1]

I probably should've said, 'a good arm at at least one OF corner position (RF).' You can probably play 4's at both pos's, even with 0 or worse arms, but you're going to give up some runs, so the players better hit.