Orioles plan to select the contract of INF Manny Machado

[Can_of_corn]

Wow ...22 errors this season at AA????

And???

[Flash- bd]

I thought this quote was pretty interesting in Steve Melewski's piece talking with Adam Jones about Manny Machado:

Steve Melewski

"I don't think it was this big," Jones said this afternoon in the Orioles clubhouse. "I don't remember much media coverage about it. I do remember first at-bat I faced Casey Janssen and swung at the first pitch and popped up. I walked my second at-bat and helped out my wOBA."

Always the kidder, Jones flashing some knowledge of the weighted on-base average sabermetric stat with that wOBA reference.

http://www.masnsports.com/steve_melewski/2012/08/adam-jones-talks-about-manny-machado.html

Adam Jones knows what wOBA is??

[Roll Tide]

And???

Will you be okay if he as 10-15 errors before the end of the season?

[Can_of_corn]

I thought this quote was pretty interesting in Steve Melewski's piece talking with Adam Jones about Manny Machado:

Steve Melewski

http://www.masnsports.com/steve_melewski/2012/08/adam-jones-talks-about-manny-machado.html

Adam Jones knows what wOBA is??

Doesn't surprise me. He has always seemed a smart, informed young man to me.

On a side note, I think Travel Channel or Food Network should give him a show.

Good food pr0n on his twitter feed.

[DrungoHazewood]

Wow ...22 errors this season at AA????

ARod, 25 errors between three levels in '94, then 10 more in 51 games at AAA in '95. Edgar Renteria made at least 23 errors in each of his four full minor league seasons before debuting at 19 in the MLBs. Adrian Beltre made 79 errors in 304 minor league games before his teenage callup, including 37 in 121 games in '97. BJ Upton didn't stick at short in the long run, but he made 56, 35, and 53 errors in his age 18, 19, and 20 minor league seasons, then tacked on 28 more in a half a season at 21 for good measure.

[Can_of_corn]

Will you be okay if he as 10-15 errors before the end of the season?

Why would you expect that to happen?

[Flash- bd]

Doesn't surprise me. He has always seemed a smart, informed young man to me.

On a side note, I think Travel Channel or Food Network should give him a show.

Good food pr0n on his twitter feed.

No, I totally agree about Adam, always seen him as a sharp guy.

I just honestly didn't think any ML players knew about wOBA.

[DrungoHazewood]

Will you be okay if he as 10-15 errors before the end of the season?

Why would you assume his error rate would shoot up on better-kept fields surrounded by far more competent teammates? In any case, 10 errors from a rangy, athletic third baseman over two months of OJT wouldn't be awful.

[Can_of_corn]

No, I totally agree about Adam, always seen him as a sharp guy.

I just honestly didn't think any ML players knew about wOBA.

I wouldn't be shocked to learn that there is a bit of clubhouse stigma attached to being a stat guy. Which might cause players to be quiet about it.

The information is readily available and I would think a player wanting to improve himself would avail himself of it. I would also expect the staff to stress at least some of the information.

[Flash- bd]

I wouldn't be shocked to learn that there is a bit of clubhouse stigma attached to being a stat guy. Which might cause players to be quiet about it.

The information is readily available and I would think a player wanting to improve himself would avail himself of it. I would also expect the staff to stress at least some of the information.

It's just that we have a hard enough time convincing people on here that stats like wOBA are of use; I'd think it would be doubly hard to convince ML players who have gone their whole lives being told about BA, HRs, RBIs and the fundamentals to ditch that stuff for the likes of wOBA. I can say one thing for sure: guys like Bordick and Dempsey could never tell you what wOBA means...

[Roll Tide]

Why would you assume his error rate would shoot up on better-kept fields surrounded by far more competent teammates? In any case, 10 errors from a rangy, athletic third baseman over two months of OJT wouldn't be awful.

51 games to go ...he averages 1 error every 4.7 games ....Would be 10+ ....How is that shooting up?

[MurphDogg]

51 games to go ...he averages 1 error every 4.7 games ....Would be 10+ ....How is that shooting up?

Yeah, 10+ in that it is more than 10 and less than 11. If he plays every game. Regardless, the fields are much better kept in the majors so his errors should go down.

[SteveA]

It's just that we have a hard enough time convincing people on here that stats like wOBA are of use; I'd think it would be doubly hard to convince ML players who have gone their whole lives being told about BA, HRs, RBIs and the fundamentals to ditch that stuff for the likes of wOBA. I can say one thing for sure: guys like Bordick and Dempsey could never tell you what wOBA means...

And I don't think that matters at all, as long as their capacity is limited to player instruction as opposed to evaluation.

Advanced stats are absolutely necessary for player EVALUATION. But someone instructing players like Bordick has been is much better served by knowing how to execute proper footwork at first base, or how to apply a tag properly, than what wOBA or BABIP or any advanced stats are all about.

Other than some extremely basic knowledge such as "walks are good thing even though batting average ignores them", I don't think it matters a whit if a player knows anything at all about the advanced stats that are used by GMs, managers, and other player evaluators. Much more important that they understand the importance of where a pitcher's arm slot is, or how to get a good jump when trying to steal.

[Obligatory Disclaimer: I'm talking about advanced STATS like wOBA, xFIP, isolated power, etc. I am not talking about knowledge that can now be gleaned from PitchFx about pitchers and hitters' tendencies that can be used to determine a strategy at the plate, on the mound, or in defensive positioning].

Compare it with health. It's much more important that I know what foods are healthy, or how to control a chronic health condition I might have like diabetes or something, than to be able to read an MRI or the results of a blood test. The doctor needs to know that stuff, I just need to know to avoid cigarettes and exercise regularly (I'm batting .500 on that one).

Still, I do think it's pretty cool that Adam is aware of that stuff. It's fun, as a fan, to find players who are also fans of the game. Because they don't have to be, after all it is a job to them, and all they really NEED to know is how to excel at their craft, they don't need a fan's understanding of the game at all. Some players never watch baseball such as the postseason when they're not in it, as they are not fans and find the game boring to WATCH even though they make a living DOING it. And there's really nothing at all wrong with that. But as a fan, it is nice to find a guy like Adam Jones or Doug Glanville who seems to totally "get" the fan experience.