Here are the stats i’ve figured out in the unfolding of fielding stats.

Right now, we have the basics, which are

Games, Innings, Putouts, Assists, Errors, Double Plays, Fielding Percentage, Passed Balls

Here is what i’ve thought of when it comes to ‘unfolding’ Putouts, Assists, Errors, and Double Plays.

Putouts-

Personal Putouts (PPO): Catching the ball yourself, or putting out a batter without assistance from others.

Assisted Putouts (APO): For example, if you’re a first baseman and you get the throw from the shortstop.

Putouts due to Strikeout: This is intended to be mainly applied to catchers. Especially as a way to show where most of their putouts come from.

Assists-

The first breakdown shows which infielder gets the ball (or who is assisted by the player). The positions I’d list there are pitcher (3-1), catcher (1-2, 3-2, 9-2 plays at the plate), first base (6-3, 4-3), second base (6-4), third base (I think gunning down a runner at third would be the top result here), or shortstop (4-6 play at second)

The second breakdown is close to the same, but due to the playing patterns at second, differences are expected. Basically the breakdown will be by which base the assisted out occured at.

I’m pretty sure that in about 99.9% of putouts, an outfielder doesn’t run up an assist by throwing the ball to another outfielder. Rare exceptions may exist.

Errors-

The one variable i’m considering is ‘Runs scored due to error’, which I’m intending to apply to the runner who gets on via error. Although it could be expanded to how many unearned runs score due to the runner getting on. I won’t quite do that.

Double Plays-

The variables i’m using right now are

‘Double Play Relay’: Which would apply to the fielder who either gets the ball first without making an out (such as the second baseman in a 4-6-3 play), or the fielder who relays the ball on an outfielder assist (such as the relay man or gets the outfield throw and throws it to the plate, gunning a runner down at the plate)

‘The First Out’: Which goes to the fielder who makes the first out on a double play.

‘The Second Out’: Pretty self-explanatory, but that’s the player who makes the second out on a double play.

I don’t know how much these changes would show, but it could turn vague fielding stats into more meaningful stats.

My first target for compiling these stats is the 2005 Kansas City Royals.

I’ll post my findings when I make them, or if I remember to do so.

Any thoughts or ideas?

Quick update and 2 observations:

John Buck’s fielding splits, though May 29th, 2005 (the Royals 50th game):

204 putouts noted so far (of 638 on the year)
192 of them come from strikeouts
8 come from unassisted putouts
4 come from assisted putouts

20 assists noted so far (of 57 on the year)
10 of them are to the first baseman
5 are to the second baseman
5 are to the shortstop

11 of them are to first base
9 of them are to second base

And one of his four double plays have been noted.

My observations:

First off, the differences between BBRef’s stats and Retrosheet’s stats are even there for Buck’s stats.

Second, dropped third strikes are apparently counted as a putout and an assist. Which seems to be pretty illogical.

And i’m probably going to be in great pain when I go over Berroa’s 160 or so games.

——

John Buck’s fielding splits, though July 10th, 2005 (the Royals 87th game, and the last one before the all-star break):

346 putouts noted so far (of 638 on the year)
329 of them come from strikeouts
12 come from unassisted putouts
5 come from assisted putouts

31 assists noted so far (of 57 on the year)
13 of them are to the first baseman
8 are to the second baseman
8 are to the shortstop
2 are to the third baseman

15 of them are to first base
14 of them are to second base
2 of them are to third base

And three of his four double plays have been noted, he’s the first out on two, and one of the double plays gives Buck the sole credit on a strikeout/throwout double play. Which makes no sense either.

A note on the bases.. the difference between plays to the first baseman and second baseman comes from bunts.

Second, dropped third strikes are apparently counted as a putout and an assist. Which seems to be pretty illogical.

It is, and you need to subtract those plays from the putouts. This is (I think) a bug in Retrosheet’s program.

—MWE