RF/LF question concerning soriano

[Magnetic Curses]

i know that the consensus around here seems to be that soriano would be more valuable in right field, but can anyone tell me what the advantages of having the strong-armed soriano in right as compared to left?

 

there's this perception that stopping runners from going to third base would make the move worth it, but how much more often are there scoring opportunites for opposing teams in which a hit or a fly ball goes to left field instead of right--and how far does that go to nullifying any added advantage of having your strongest-armed outfielder in right field?

 

i don't know if this is just conventional wisdom or whether it's actually been researched statistically. personally, i don't know, i guess i'm ignorant on this one.

[NCCubFan]

I believe the thinking relates more to the distance of the throw, not the frequency. LF to 3B is a much shorter throw than RF to 3B; therefore it doesn't take as strong of an arm.

[Magnetic Curses]

I believe the thinking relates more to the distance of the throw, not the frequency. LF to 3B is a much shorter throw than RF to 3B; therefore it doesn't take as strong of an arm.

 

that's not my question though. i realize that. but if hits with a runner on second or fly balls with runners on third and less than 2 outs go to left field with much more frequency--how far would that go to nullifying that advantage?

[Exile on Waveland]

While it's perhaps a negligible difference, a throw from right to home is more difficult than a throw from left to home. From left, the catcher should be in front of the plate/up the line (so slightly closer to the left fielder), and shouldn't need to turn to tag a runner out. From right, the catcher won't be closer to right than homeplate, and will have to catch and turn to apply a tag (so less time). It's obviously a marginal difference, but I think it is another rationale for having the stronger-armed player in RF.

 

Edit: I realize that's not really your question either.

[Magnetic Curses]

While it's perhaps a negligible difference, a throw from right to home is more difficult than a throw from left to home. From left, the catcher should be in front of the plate/up the line (so slightly closer to the left fielder), and shouldn't need to turn to tag a runner out. From right, the catcher won't be closer to right than homeplate, and will have to catch and turn to apply a tag (so less time). It's obviously a marginal difference, but I think it is another rationale for having the stronger-armed player in RF.

 

Edit: I realize that's not really your question either.

 

i know what you mean, though.

 

just speaking from my own personal experience, how many times did alou get run on when he was playing left? a ton, and how awesome would it have been if he could have actually made the throws or held the runners at third? that's purely subjective, but it's nice having an arm in left that can routinely gun down players at the plate if that's where more of the balls are hit.

[SouthSideRyan]

i know that the consensus around here seems to be that soriano would be more valuable in right field, but can anyone tell me what the advantages of having the strong-armed soriano in right as compared to left?

 

there's this perception that stopping runners from going to third base would make the move worth it, but how much more often are there scoring opportunites for opposing teams in which a hit or a fly ball goes to left field instead of right--and how far does that go to nullifying any added advantage of having your strongest-armed outfielder in right field?

 

i don't know if this is just conventional wisdom or whether it's actually been researched statistically. personally, i don't know, i guess i'm ignorant on this one.

 

I've argued the same thing in the past. Seems to me, you get a lot more chances to throw LF to home/2nd than you do RF to home/3rd/2nd.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

i know that the consensus around here seems to be that soriano would be more valuable in right field, but can anyone tell me what the advantages of having the strong-armed soriano in right as compared to left?

 

there's this perception that stopping runners from going to third base would make the move worth it, but how much more often are there scoring opportunites for opposing teams in which a hit or a fly ball goes to left field instead of right--and how far does that go to nullifying any added advantage of having your strongest-armed outfielder in right field?

 

i don't know if this is just conventional wisdom or whether it's actually been researched statistically. personally, i don't know, i guess i'm ignorant on this one.

 

I've argued the same thing in the past. Seems to me, you get a lot more chances to throw LF to home/2nd than you do RF to home/3rd/2nd.

 

Cause and effect though. Is that because there are more opportunities, or are there more opportunities because the weaker arm is traditionally in LF and the stronger in RF?

[frostwyrm]

i know that the consensus around here seems to be that soriano would be more valuable in right field, but can anyone tell me what the advantages of having the strong-armed soriano in right as compared to left?

 

there's this perception that stopping runners from going to third base would make the move worth it, but how much more often are there scoring opportunites for opposing teams in which a hit or a fly ball goes to left field instead of right--and how far does that go to nullifying any added advantage of having your strongest-armed outfielder in right field?

 

i don't know if this is just conventional wisdom or whether it's actually been researched statistically. personally, i don't know, i guess i'm ignorant on this one.

 

I've argued the same thing in the past. Seems to me, you get a lot more chances to throw LF to home/2nd than you do RF to home/3rd/2nd.

 

Cause and effect though. Is that because there are more opportunities, or are there more opportunities because the weaker arm is traditionally in LF and the stronger in RF?

 

True. Ichiro has lost countless opportunities to throw because people don't like to run on him. If he had Moises Alou's arm he'd be throwing a lot more often.

[SouthSideRyan]

i know that the consensus around here seems to be that soriano would be more valuable in right field, but can anyone tell me what the advantages of having the strong-armed soriano in right as compared to left?

 

there's this perception that stopping runners from going to third base would make the move worth it, but how much more often are there scoring opportunites for opposing teams in which a hit or a fly ball goes to left field instead of right--and how far does that go to nullifying any added advantage of having your strongest-armed outfielder in right field?

 

i don't know if this is just conventional wisdom or whether it's actually been researched statistically. personally, i don't know, i guess i'm ignorant on this one.

 

I've argued the same thing in the past. Seems to me, you get a lot more chances to throw LF to home/2nd than you do RF to home/3rd/2nd.

 

Cause and effect though. Is that because there are more opportunities, or are there more opportunities because the weaker arm is traditionally in LF and the stronger in RF?

 

To the same effect, plays where a guy easily scores/advances on the weak armed guy are going to have a play on them with the strong armed guy.

 

My thought on it is based on my assumption that LF is getting more action than RF, and therefore would have more chances at making the throws.

[Magnetic Curses]

i know that the consensus around here seems to be that soriano would be more valuable in right field, but can anyone tell me what the advantages of having the strong-armed soriano in right as compared to left?

 

there's this perception that stopping runners from going to third base would make the move worth it, but how much more often are there scoring opportunites for opposing teams in which a hit or a fly ball goes to left field instead of right--and how far does that go to nullifying any added advantage of having your strongest-armed outfielder in right field?

 

i don't know if this is just conventional wisdom or whether it's actually been researched statistically. personally, i don't know, i guess i'm ignorant on this one.

 

I've argued the same thing in the past. Seems to me, you get a lot more chances to throw LF to home/2nd than you do RF to home/3rd/2nd.

 

Cause and effect though. Is that because there are more opportunities, or are there more opportunities because the weaker arm is traditionally in LF and the stronger in RF?

 

To the same effect, plays where a guy easily scores/advances on the weak armed guy are going to have a play on them with the strong armed guy.

 

My thought on it is based on my assumption that LF is getting more action than RF, and therefore would have more chances at making the throws.

 

that's pretty much how i feel.

 

edit: let me just clarify that when i say "chances" i mean any time a hitter gets a basehit with a runner on second or hits a fly ball with a runner on third or hits something down the line that could be stretched into a double--regardless if the runner is thrown out or is held up.