Outfield Arms

I recall quite some time ago that someone did a statistical evaluation of the value of powerful outfield arms. Does anyone know where I could find that info?

My guess would be in the team's W/L record... I always try to get an arm or 2 in the OF. Puckett, Ichiro, Evans, Walker, or Geronimo to start with. Can't go wrong with stopping a running game.

Sincerely,
Delivery Boy...

I do remember some discussions on the old boards that tried to relate various arm ratings to runs allowed.
But do not remember any details.

Without delving into hard numbers, I would say part of hit has to do with what type of pitching staff you have. The more strikeout pitchers you have, the less you need the OF arm.

Let's say you have two similarly priced pitchers, Pete Alexander '27 and Jim Maloney '63. Maloney averages over a strikeout per inning, Ole Pete averages over one and a half per 9 innings. Pete's card is full of fbB's and gbC's, rolls that will move runners along in the right scenario. Maloney has lots of K's and very few fbB or gbC's.

So one out, runner on first, single to center, Combs '27 and his +3 arm in CF are going to hurt you a lot worse with Pete than Maloney, because Maloney can get a K with the next batter for the 2nd out, while Pete has a good chance of giving up a sac fly or slow grounder that will score the runner.

Elementary question I am about to ask, but:

Having not played the board game in many moons, outfield arms come into play on what type of flyballs? Fly ball B?

And from what you are saying, the amount of these chances varies from pitcher to pitcher. (I haven't looked in that regard.)

Thank you for the help on this.

the flyball ? does use OF arms as do singles and doubles when runners are on base.
Might note that OF arm does not impact whether runners will be safe or out as much as whether they will try for the extra base.

I think at some time Strato needs to update the OF arm system to account for OFers who are accurate verses those who are strong but erratic and possibly separate the frequency of being challenged and likelihood of throwing the runner out.

the flyball ? does use OF arms as do singles and doubles when runners are on base.
Might note that OF arm does not impact whether runners will be safe or out as much as whether they will try for the extra base.

I think at some time Strato needs to update the OF arm system to account for OFers who are accurate verses those who are strong but erratic and possibly separate the frequency of being challenged and likelihood of throwing the runner out.

Doesn't the arm strength subtract from the runners speed? Such as a -2 arm turns a 1-15 runner stretching a single into a double into a 1-13 runner?

the arm rating, as I have always understood it, is a composite of strength and accuracy, realized, if I can put it that way, as the increased (or decreased) probability that a throw by that outfielder will throw a runner out.

in that sense, it combines accuracy and stength (I would say velocity).

hard to see what the point of separate accuracy and velocity ratings would be, since the possibility of an error is already packed into the 'e' rating, although, I suppose there could be separate e ratings for fielding and throwing errors, as there are for catchers.


another thing I might mention based on the wording of one of the previous comments is that, to the extent that the card images and the computer representation represent the same probabilities, a hit followed by an '*' advances the runners as many bases as there are '*'s. in addition, WHEN a SINGLE or DOUBLE has neither '*'s nor an OF position, any throw is made by the CF.


I also thought that there was an adjustment for which base the throw went to matrixed by where it is made from - meaning there si a deduction from safe chances at third for throws from LF that does NOT apply to throws from RF. SO that Stargell in LF is, in a way, overkill, while a -6 Clemented in rf is an asset.