Tony DiEgidio has a good question regarding speed numbers:
“I would like to better understand how 10s and 11s are awarded on cards.
I have only played the master Game – perhaps my question is simply answered by how the two results differ in the Basic Game??”
This is a good question coming from someone who only plays the Master Game. The speed numbers (10 and 11) are handled very differently in the two versions of the game (not to mention BBW which is loosely based on the Master Game).
I’ll start with the hit values of the two numbers. As I recall from reading in APBA Journal years ago, the 11 is worth 1.0 hits (in other words it is a hit every time). The 10 is considered a .8 of a hit.
Now to get to the steal value of the speed numbers… As I understand it, APBA will award an 11 if a player has one steal per 36 plate appearances. This is similar to a player who will get a first column 1 for hitting one homerun for every 36 plate appearances.
Take 2013 Hunter Pence for example:
22 SB in 687 PA
22/687* 36 = 1.15 SB per 36 PA
So Hunter Pence is rounded down to one 11 for his APBA card.
The 10 speed number is a little more complicated. Depending on the year and the strength of the pitching of the league, the steal value may vary. Unlike the 11 which is almost always a steal, the 10 garners a steal only with a runner on first, runner on third, and the bases loaded. APBA experts will dispute this but I’ve heard the steal value of the 10 hover between .25 and .45, sometimes even higher.
Again, take another case example. This time let’s play with 2013 Ryan Zimmerman’s numbers:
6 SB in 633 PA
6 / 633 *36 = .34 SB per 36 PA
For that, Zimmerman gets one 10 at 15. I’ve seen figures getting close to the .5 mark which begs the question, is getting two 10s have the same value as one 11? I don’t think it’s even close. An 11 is a steal almost every time (if you’re wondering, it is just a base hit with a runner on third).
Other notes to consider:
APBA has for a few decades now included 11s in the second column to become more granular with their distribution of their speed numbers. A player with 1 or 2 steals may find a couple 11 in the second column much to the dismay of the roller.
Finally, Ted mentioned he was a Master Game player. I haven’t played the MG in a while but the version I have really punished those players who relied on their speed. Vince Coleman and Rickey Henderson’s 11s which had great hit value in the Basic Game, had less hit value than even 8s or 9s and were subject to being changed to outs depending on the pitcher’s grade. The 10 was even less valuable. I haven’t seen newer versions of the Master Game so I’m not sure if that aspect has been changed.
Thanks Tony for a great question!
