In scoresheet-talk on June 26, 2006, Ken Warren nicely summed up Scoresheet’s rules for determining who will get a fielding rating at a particular position. I will add comments as needed. Here were the 10 rules for position eligibility Ken reported:

1) The only season that is considered is the previous season except in the case of utility infielders. [It doesn’t appear that they make exceptions anymore.]

2) DH is not considered a position. [They can play firstbase with a range of 1.70.]

3) If a player doesn't play 20 games at any position he qualifies at the position where he appeared the most often.

4) If he plays 20+ games at multiple positions he qualifies at all positions at which he appeared in 20+ games.

5) If he plays regularly in the majors and doesn't appear in more than four games at any position, he does not qualify at any position and is listed as a DH only. [That number might only be 2 or 3 games now.]

6) If a player is publicly announced as the starter before the season starts and plays that position regularly in spring training he will qualify at that position from week #1.

7) If a player plays four games in the first week of the season at a new position he will qualify for week #1 at the new position.

8) If a player is publicly announced as the starter and doesn't play there in spring training due to injury, he will not qualify until he appears in 10 games at the new position. Jose Reyes at 2B is an example of this rule for 2004. [I’m not sure if this is so much of a rule as something that Ken is pointing out.]

9) Anytime a player appears in 10 games at a new position in the current season he automatically qualifies at that position.

10) Utility infielders can qualify at positions for which they don't meet the 20 game rule, if Scoresheet feels they can adequately play the position based on their career history. For instance if a utility infielder plays in 70 games and appears in 15+ games at 2B, SS, and 3B he will likely qualify at all three positions. A part time utility player will have a difficult time appearing in 20 games at all the positions that he can actually play because of limited playing time. [Unfortunately, it seems the Barton brothers encountered too much haggling over who should qualify where and stopped this subjective practice.]