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The Defense Thread, 2014

Frobby

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Frobby Hangout Grand Counsel

Frobby

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Game 29, May 4

Britton knocked down a sharp grounder back at him but it bounced away. Manny came flying in and tried a sidearm flick, but it was offline and a bit late.

There was a possible DP grounder that Schoop didn't charge, and Hardy's relay was just a split-second late.

Cruz went back on a fly ball but it got over his head and two runs scored. A nice relay throw by Hardy was inches late.

Brad Bach made a nice pickoff throw to 1B that the runner beat by millimeters, then the runner stole 2B and beat the throw there by millimeters. Two razor-close plays.

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Aristotelian Hangout Grand Counsel

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One noteworthy play today that was not in the box score was Schoop's misplay of the ball hit to him in the shift. It was ruled a hit only because the ball would have been an easy hit in a conventional defense. Great opportunity to turn a hit into an out and should have been an error in my opinion.

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Il BuonO Hangout Grand Counsel

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Game 29, May 4

Britton knocked down a sharp grounder back at him but it bounced away. Manny came flying in and tried a sidearm flick, but it was offline and a bit late.

There was a possible DP grounder that Schoop didn't charge, and Hardy's relay was just a split-second late.

Cruz went back on a fly ball but it got over his head and two runs scored. A nice relay throw by Hardy was inches late.

Brad Bach made a nice pickoff throw to 1B that the runner beat by millimeters, then the runner stole 2B and beat the throw there by millimeters. Two razor-close plays.

Britton was also in perfect fielding position, as is usually the case (he and Chen are good examples fine fielding pitchers), and gloved a ball easily. There are more pitchers then I can name who are constantly falling off to side or another and can't even field a ball hit right back through the middle.

And I hope people realize I was joking about Machado a couple days ago. There is nothing at all ordinary about how he plays defense. He had absolutely no business at all even coming close to making a play on the ball that deflected off Britton's glove, yet he somehow got there and left his feet, ending up parallel to the ground when he released the ball and almost did make the play.

I sometimes am in awe of the plays he doesn't make. That was one of them.

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webbrick2010 Hangout Veteran Council

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Was just looking at the advanced fielding metrics and noticed that the O's are the third worst team in the majors in defensive efficiency. Only the Yankees and Cleveland Indians are worse.

Also have only caught 2 of 17 base stealers.

The absense of Hardy & Machado, and now Davis and giving Cruz starts in LF, plus the dislike of Jones and Markakis by advanced metrics paints the O's as a below average defensive team. Perhaps it's not all on the starting pitching.

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Frobby Hangout Grand Counsel

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Was just looking at the advanced fielding metrics and noticed that the O's are the third worst team in the majors in defensive efficiency. Only the Yankees and Cleveland Indians are worse.

Also have only caught 2 of 17 base stealers.

The absense of Hardy & Machado, and now Davis and giving Cruz starts in LF, plus the dislike of Jones and Markakis by advanced metrics paints the O's as a below average defensive team. Perhaps it's not all on the starting pitching.

It's true, the defense hasn't been as good, especially while Machado and/or Hardy were out. I'm keeping an eye on Wieters' throwing. Runners still aren't attempting a lot of steals off him (he is second in the league in fewest attempts per inning caught), but it is concerning that he's only nailed one runner. Teams have been pretty aggressive with Clevenger (7 attempts in 7 starts) and he hasn't given them any reason to stop, only catching one runner as well.

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LAOSfan Major Leaguer Cup of Coffee

LAOSfan

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It's true, the defense hasn't been as good, especially while Machado and/or Hardy were out. I'm keeping an eye on Wieters' throwing. Runners still aren't attempting a lot of steals off him (he is second in the league in fewest attempts per inning caught), but it is concerning that he's only nailed one runner. Teams have been pretty aggressive with Clevenger (7 attempts in 7 starts) and he hasn't given them any reason to stop, only catching one runner as well.

Well, 6 of those steals are against Jimenez and 5 are against Norris. So perhaps it's not all on Clevenger and/or Wieters.

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Frobby Hangout Grand Counsel

Frobby

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Nick Markakis made a really good running catch of a ball just as it reached the wall, taking away a double.

Manny made an error and there was another play scored a hit that might have been an error, according to Roch. I didn't see the play, so maybe others can elaborate.

The O's threw a runner out at 3B on a bunt play, I think. Again, I didn't see it.

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murph Hangout Grand Counsel

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It's true, the defense hasn't been as good, especially while Machado and/or Hardy were out. I'm keeping an eye on Wieters' throwing. Runners still aren't attempting a lot of steals off him (he is second in the league in fewest attempts per inning caught), but it is concerning that he's only nailed one runner. Teams have been pretty aggressive with Clevenger (7 attempts in 7 starts) and he hasn't given them any reason to stop, only catching one runner as well.

Maybe quite an accurate premonition on Wieter's not being able to throw runners out if he has truly torn his UCL or has some other serious elbow/arm injury. Hoping it's a restable (is that a word) injury and he will come back strong behind the plate this year.

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Aristotelian Hangout Grand Counsel

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I don't think the ball you mention was an error. It was a bouncing ground ball with spin that started on Manny's right but took a bad hop high and to his left after he had started to charge to his right. He got twisted around and had no chance. It was not hit well so you want to see an out, but it was a really tough play the way it went down.

Yes, I believe it was Pearce who made the play on the bunt to JJ covering at third. With O'Day in the game, Escobar was bunting with 1st & 2nd, none out, Tampa down 1 run in the 7th. Bad bunt, easy play, only remarkable because it doesn't happen often and took Tampa out of a possible big inning (but Maddon clearly believes in it because he did the same thing down 2 runs in the 9th).

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Catch 8 Major Leaguer

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That Markakis catch was eerily similar to the one in Kevin Gregg's first Orioles save (a game also started by Chris Tillman).

That play alone earned Markakis the Gold Glove, and a great defensive reputation going forward. Diminished range, I still really like him in RF.

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Frobby Hangout Grand Counsel

Frobby

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Game 31, May 7

Manny short hopped a high chopper hit towards SS and sidearmed a throw to Schoop to barely nab the lead runner. Later, he made a great diving stop down the line to save an RBI double, though he wasn't able to nab the runner at 1B.

On the game-tying hit by Tampa in the 6th, Jones charged a one hopper but the ball hit the heel of his glove just enough to throw off the way in which he pulled it out of the glove, and he threw off-line and Joseph couldn't handle the hop while trying for a bang-bang tag play.

Hunter's share of the final hit of the game was a play not all pitchers make.

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