Catcher defensive ratings

[Hitandrun]

A question for all you Puresim veterans: Which do you think is the more important rating for a catcher: hands or range? What do these mean as far as catching is concerned?

[PadresFan104]

Good question. The only catcher rating I pay attention to is arm....

[Amaroq]

Heh - its a great question, and I have *no* idea.

I am fairly certain that 'hands' plays into
- ability to catch fly balls
- ability to avoid 'passed balls'
- ability to avoid an error on a sacrifice bunt or slow roller

I would suspect 'range' plays into
- ability to reach fly balls
- ability to change a successful 'bunt for hit' into an out
- ability to change a successful 'sacrifice' into a retire-the-lead-runner play
- ability to reach a 'wild pitch' and 'save' it.
The only thing I'm positive it actually achieves is the first.

[rowech]

All I look at is arm. 

[Deltadog]

Wouldn't range also effect the ability to prevent passed balls. If a catcher moves better to block a pitch in the dirt it would seem that he would be less likely to be charged with a passed ball that one who cannot move that well. A pitch in the dirt might be considered a wild pitch, but you never know with score keepers[;)]