The Defense Thread, 2015

[Scrat1]

I'm certainly glad to have JJ Hardy out there and I'm still happy about the extension. That said, when Schoop gets back, I wonder if it would help to move Flaherty over a couple times a week and give Hardy some additional rest.

[Frobby]

I'm certainly glad to have JJ Hardy out there and I'm still happy about the extension. That said, when Schoop gets back, I wonder if it would help to move Flaherty over a couple times a week and give Hardy some additional rest.

No. Hardy is a much better SS than Flaherty. Spot duty only, please.

[glenn__davis]

No. Hardy is a much better SS than Flaherty. Spot duty only, please.

A couple times a week as scrat mentioned is definitely too much, but I'd like to see Hardy get 2-3 days off a month. But, I'd like to see that from all of our regulars, quite frankly. I've said for a few years that I think Buck rides the regulars a little harder than I'd like to see.

[Frobby]

A couple times a week as scrat mentioned is definitely too much, but I'd like to see Hardy get 2-3 days off a month. But, I'd like to see that from all of our regulars, quite frankly. I've said for a few years that I think Buck rides the regulars a little harder than I'd like to see.

I'd be cool with that.

[Aristotelian]

A couple times a week as scrat mentioned is definitely too much, but I'd like to see Hardy get 2-3 days off a month. But, I'd like to see that from all of our regulars, quite frankly. I've said for a few years that I think Buck rides the regulars a little harder than I'd like to see.

I agree. Manny too. I have wondered if the stress on his knees could have been minimized with a few days off here and there. Maybe not, but seems like a lot to ask a guy to play 162 games coming off of knee surgery, and I don't think he has had a day off yet this year.

[Frobby]

July 1

Manny made three great plays in this game. In the early innings, he grabbed a short-hop that was absolutely scorched. Later, he barehanded a swinging but and fired a sidearm throw to first. On the very next play, playing near the normal SS position on a shift, he made a diving stop of a ball up the middle, scrambled up and fired a throw to 1B while landing on his butt. The two plays were shown on SportsCenter, with the latter play ranked the top 6 sports play of the day.

July 2

David Lough made a tremendous running catch in the LF corner, covering a great amount of ground and then slamming into the wall as he leaped to make the catch. Joe Angel couldn't believe he caught it. Lough made a diving catch coming in on a ball later in the game. Manny made an error ranging to his left for a grounder in the 8th. Buck said Manny made some good plays earlier in the game, but I wasn't watching and can't confirm that.

[duffaphonic]

The Os fielders were tremendous last night, however there was one play that was not properly executed by Flaherty that the announcers di not mention. The ball dropped in between Davis and Flaherty while the Sox runner mistakingly attempted to go to second. He was frozen between first and second in no man's land. Flaherty, ionstead of rushing right at the runner , threw the ball to first, which meant that Pearce had to make an accurate throw to catch the sliding runner at second. Fortunately, the result was good, but it was a mental error by Flaherty. When Caleb Joseph threw wildly to second in an earlier inning the announcers were all over him. All in all, it was a very frustrating game..

[mdbdotcom]

The Os fielders were tremendous last night, however there was one play that was not properly executed by Flaherty that the announcers di not mention. The ball dropped in between Davis and Flaherty while the Sox runner mistakingly attempted to go to second. He was frozen between first and second in no man's land. Flaherty, ionstead of rushing right at the runner , threw the ball to first, which meant that Pearce had to make an accurate throw to catch the sliding runner at second. Fortunately, the result was good, but it was a mental error by Flaherty. When Caleb Joseph threw wildly to second in an earlier inning the announcers were all over him. All in all, it was a very frustrating game..

I thought the same thing the first time I saw the Flaherty play, but Flaherty took one step directly at the guy and he headed toward 1B. Flash had no choice but to throw the ball to Pearce.

[Frobby]

July 5

- Two nice stabs of smashes down the 1B line, one by Pearce and one by Parmelee.

- A beautiful CS by Caleb Joseph, right on the money.

- A fantastic relay play, Davis to Schoop to Manny. Much as I like Flaherty, I don't think he has the arm to make the play Schoop made there.

- Reimold did a good job cutting off a slicing hit to the corner to keep a run from scoring from 1st on a double.

- Manny did have a hard grounder tip off his glove that he usually would grab. Not an error, but a play he often makes.

Overall, a sharp defensive game.

[Frobby]

I have to mention an amazing play Manny made on Friday that won't get much notice. A runner was stealing 3B on a pitch that bounced off Wieters' glove. Wieters recovered and fired to 3B but his throw was well wide of 3B. Manny, already positioned to take the throw and with the runner going into his slude, made a full out dive and snagged the errant throw. It was a fairly amazing play.

Davis also made several nice plays in the OF.

July 18

Schoop made a full extension leaping grab of a line drive to his backhand side.

In the 9th, Hardy fielded a chopper deep in the hole and made a quick snap throw to Pearce, who made a nice stretch and fielded the short hop to barely nab Kinsler.

[Frobby]

Many notable plays in this game, including a couple of spectacular "almosts."

- Schoop, playing over towards SS on a shift, made a diving stop of a sharp gtounder up the middle and scrambled up to make the tough throw, nicely scooped by Parmelee.

- Manny, playing near SS on a shift, charged a slowly hit ball on the infield grass near the SS hole and fired a sidearm throw to 1B that missed getting the runner by the blink of an eye. Great play even though the runner was safe.

- Wieters stabbed a pitch that short-hopped him and fired a perfect strike to 1B to pick off the runner.

- Next play, Parmelee broke towards 1B on a grounder he probably could have handled and couldn't reverse field in time.

- Later, Parmalee leaped to catch a scorching liner headed down the RF line. Unfortunately he landed with his arm under his body and couldn't extend it in time to tags the base for a DP.

- On a long fly ball to CF with runners with runners on 1st and 2nd, Jones kind of lazy cruised back and caught it with his momentum still heading towards the fence, rather than racing back and setting himself to throw. Both runners tagged up and moved up a base. The runner on 2nd probably could have tagged up in any event, but the runner on 1st wouldn't have run if Jones had played it differently IMO.

- On the next play there was a ground single up the middle. Jones made a throw home to prevent the runner on 2nd from scoring. The batter ran to 2B and Wieters made a poor one hop throw and the batter was easily safe.

- JJ grabbed a chopper well behind 2B, quickly realized that a throw to 2B wouldn't be in time to get the lead runner, and fired a throw to 1B from long range that Parmalee picked.

- Schoop had two plays where he made a grab going away from 1B and made string throws, but both times the runner was safe.

- Manny misjudged a high hop on a chopper to his backhand side that went for a single.

[CA-ORIOLE]

Snider made a nice play down the line preventing a double.

[25 Nuggets]

Current r-dWAR / f-defense WAR component

+1.5 / +8.4 Manny Machado

+0.9 / +9.1 JJ Hardy

+0.7 / +0.5 Travis Snider

+0.6 / +4.4 Adam Jones

+0.5 / +1.7 David Lough

+0.5 / +2.5 Caleb Joseph

+0.4 / +0.2 Jonathan Schoop

+0.3 / +0.4 Ryan Flaherty

+0.1 / -4.2 Delmon Young*

+0.1 / +0.6 Ryan Lavarnway*

+0.0 / +1.4 Nolan Reimold

+0.0 / -0.1 Matt Wieters

-0.0 / -0.1 Christian Walker*

-0.1 / +0.2 Steve Clevinger*

-0.1 / -2.2 Alejandro De Aza*

-0.1 / -2.7 Chris Parmalee

-0.2 / +0.8 Everth Cabrera*

-0.2 / -1.6 Rey Navarro*

-0.5 / -3.1 Chris Davis

-0.6 / +2.5 Steve Pearce

-0.8 / -7.7 Jimmy Paredes

------------

+3.0 / +12.4 TOTAL (including pitchers)

* not on team

Thoughts - the top two are no surprise, and Jones' score is notable. BBR and fangraphs disagree with several of the outfielders (Pearce, Young), but overall the defense is still one of the better ones in the league.

Top Ten defense scores (Fangraphs)

42.1 Royals

24.9 Rays

19.7 Orioles

16.9 Mets

16.6 Cubs

13.0 Angels

12.0 Tigers

11.9 Cardinals

10.6 Marlins

9.2 Giants

[Aristotelian]

8/3/2015 @ Oakland Athletics

JJ went deep into the hole on an in-between hop, fired to Davis for a nice pick to get Billy Butler.

Shifted to the right of second base on the lefty, on a ball hit straight up the middle JJ ranged to his backhand and made a jump-throw to get Stephen Vogt.

Caleb Joseph threw out Lawrie stealing.

Adam Jones made a diving catch on a soft sinking fly ball to end the 7th inning.

Playing RF for the first time, on a ball hit over his head off the wall, Jimmy Paredes made a barehand grab and a strong throw almost over the head of the second cutoff man to hold the runner to a double.

Oakland scored their first run on a bloop to LF in front of Parra. Although the ball was softly hit and Jones was covering behind him, Parra failed to dive. The ball appeared to be catchable although it would have been a difficult play.

No errors.

[Frobby]

8/3/2015 @ Oakland Athletics

Caleb Joseph threw out Lawrie stealing.

Great catch and tag by Schoop on this play, which caused the announcers to say that he's been learning from JJ.

The O's have played some very good defense lately. Only two unearned runs during all of July. Manny has made a passel of good plays lately, and the Jones/Schoop Wieters relay on Friday night was one of the best relays you'll ever see. The Jones to Wieters throw and catch on Sunday also was spectacular.

And Hardy hasn't made an error since May 12 (70 errorless games since).