SemperFi

At home it's often the only way to avoid a tag, even sliding through and reaching back has injury risk. Players didn't go head first in the old days because they weren't as friendly as today-you would get kicked, spiked or a hard tag in the kisser-also no batting helmets as a shield to the throw. The bags were also softer and easier to maintain contact with.

Having the benefit of replay it's obvious that it's not HJ's throw that is at fault, although as you noted he should have thrown it in to Gunnar when he reliazed he didn't have a 1 cut. The bigger issue to me is Holliday learning to play 2b, he either froze watching the play or thought he had to cover? Either way he was no where near the cut line. I'm a homer for Palmer but that was a really bad call blaming HK for missing the cut.

Lost in the cut play was that HJ got no help from Holliday who hesitated as if he had to cover the bag (he's not a 2b yet). HJ made a poor throw but Holliday has to be in the correct position for the cut-not running and expecting the RF to pick him up. Palmer thought they had a play at second but with Holliday hesitating and not lined up he would have to catch the ball then set and then throw against his momentum which isn't easy. Not excusing the poor throw but the execution of the throw is a lot easier if the first cut in lined up correctly and not still moving.

I'm going to cop out to an extent in that an elite CF changes how you look at the OF defense especially RF. If EBJ hits enough with an 80 D he gets into the gaps and a more stationary RF like Kjerstadt is more palatable. So to me especially in the OF it's balance between positions but an elite CF such as EBJ (as advertised) changes things. Good defense makes for good pitching.

Another compelling reason to send him down is a to get him below 172 days which buys another year of control.

I don't think Gunnar or Holliday anticipated Cowser getting to the ball so quickly. On replay it appeared Holliday was setting for a double-cut but that doesn't make sense-he likely gave up on the play at 2b and migrated to back up. Cowser is showing why Tony and others thought he was a plus defender-he is so fluid for a guy his size.

There didn't appear to be a play on, Adley's throw wasn't good-low and to the SS side-Brewers knew they could run on them. Great execution by the Brewers poor by the Orioles.

Better angle but more important the OF is in a much better postion to throw which is why the it's the CF ball unless he is waived off-which he was. Fast runner on first and running on contact, I'll give him a mulligan but that was a poor situational decision.

Perhaps but either way the correct play is for RMC to follow Gunnar's call which as the throw went into third would have been to run through the plate not slide. There was NO reason to slide on that play, Gunnar sees it the whole way. Little things are important.

I'm not covering for Mullins. Gunnar has to give RMC the signal to slide, if they do what they are taught to do RMC is safe-he was out as he slid and reached back for the plate. That doesn't excuse Mullins gaffe.

That's not just on Mullins. RMC has to run through the plate as the throw was obviously going to third-couldn't see what the miscommunication with Gunnar was but he shouldn't been sliding

It evolves with age but in my experience kids really should not be throwing breaking balls while their growth plates are still developing. The other issue is control of a curve/slider which at ages 12-15 most guys don't have, you get ahead 0-2 and lose all that momentum and additional pitch count. My direction to the pitching coach was always 4 seam with a changeup focusing on same release/arm speed and a 2 seamer for movement. To me control was much more important at that age than speed or break. On a personal note my son grew up with Max Meyer (Marlins) and I coached him for a few years and have followed his career closely. We were surprised he was picked so early by the Marlins at #3 who were quoted that his repeatable low impact delivery, great athlete, low mileage short-season arm made him less susceptable to injury!! He's just returning now from TJ but likely never threw a breaking ball before HS. Emmet has some really good points the one thing I would echo is the simple fundamentals of throwing a ball which is why proper short/long toss is so important. Stretch and ice-two things kids hate to do.

Hi Nash-Grew up in PG county playing against Thurl, Whittenburg and Lowe in high school-really special to see them win a championship. Got to know Tommy Burleson who sold his Christmas Trees in Cary-fun times, always a soft spot in my heart for Jimmy V and State.

Looks so much better in the field-much more of the guy I was expecting to see from write-ups. Quick, fluid and decisive with routes, hitting cut offs with strong, transferable throws-something he struggled with last year. Amazing how confidence at the plate transfers to the field.

yep, had to take an extra step on the toss-good call.