The Defense Thread, 2016

[canonfaz]

Great defense last night (especially from the infield). If we can't find another power hitter for right field next year, it would be nice to find a plus defender in right.

[Aristotelian]

http://m.mlb.com/video/v1115406883/torbal-schoop-fields-a-grounder-and-tosses-to-first/?game_pk=448843

Schoop might be the only 2B in MLB who could make this throw.

[Redskins Rick]

August 30

Another strong game backing up Ubaldo in a much needed win against the division rival Blue Jays.

-Brach pitching the 8th with the score tied, Encarnacion up. Schoop was shifted to the SS side of second base. Encarnacion his a weak grounder taking Schoop even further to his right. He fired an absolute bullet from deep in the hole to get the runner.

-Schoop also made an excellent play earlier in the game, coming in and to his right on a roller and throwing off balance to get the runner (I think Tulo?)

-Reimold appeared fooloed on two knuckling line drives but adjusted and made the plays

-In the 9th, Reimold playing very deep on Barney, Britton induced a very weak fly to CF that dropped easily in front of Reimold. Would have been a tough play positioned normally but possibly catchable. Kirby might want to think about bringing the OF in with Britton pitching, particularly vs weak hitters. Fortunately it was a harmless single that did not cost us.

to me, that was a very critical play, and outstanding throw to get that out. It help keep the door closed on the Jays.

I wouldn't fault Reimold on that play in the 9th. I think the opinion there is, better cheap single, than allowing the ball over the head and extra bases, maybe even a triple.

[Spy Fox]

In the 7th inning today Mark Trumbo didn't get to a popup single by Navarro that I'm pretty the vast majority of RFers would have caught. Navarro scored on a 2-out double later in the inning.

[Frobby]

In the 7th inning today Mark Trumbo didn't get to a popup single by Navarro that I'm pretty the vast majority of RFers would have caught. Navarro scored on a 2-out double later in the inning.

I might add, Kim's lack of speed getting to the corner to pick up Travis' double also contributed to the run scoring. It takes a very long time for Dioner Navarro to score all the way from 1B.

[Aristotelian]

I might add, Kim's lack of speed getting to the corner to pick up Travis' double also contributed to the run scoring. It takes a very long time for Dioner Navarro to score all the way from 1B.

It doesn't help that Kirby has him positioned about 60 yards off the line. Kim was chugging, he just had an insane amount of ground to cover.

http://m.mlb.com/video/v1120465983/torbal-travis-extends-lead-with-an-rbi-double/?game_pk=448858

There was another play last night with a weak fly ball dropping in front of Reimold. Actually it was Schoop who got a glove on it, but if AJ had been playing his usual position it would have been his ball easily. Reimold was playing with his back to the wall and was nowhere close. Fortunately the Jays hit into a double play so it didn't matter.

[Frobby]

It doesn't help that Kirby has him positioned about 60 yards off the line. Kim was chugging, he just had an insane amount of ground to cover.

http://m.mlb.com/video/v1120465983/torbal-travis-extends-lead-with-an-rbi-double/?game_pk=448858

There was another play last night with a weak fly ball dropping in front of Reimold. Actually it was Schoop who got a glove on it, but if AJ had been playing his usual position it would have been his ball easily. Reimold was playing with his back to the wall and was nowhere close. Fortunately the Jays hit into a double play so it didn't matter.

Without a doubt, Kim had a lot of ground to cover due to his positioning on the play. I'm just stating the obvious -- a faster guy would have gotten to the corner faster.

And you are right about the Reimold play. I suspect that we've seen the last of him in CF now that Bourn and Stubbs are here. He did a credible job for the most part but he has no business being in CF.

[Aristotelian]

Without a doubt, Kim had a lot of ground to cover due to his positioning on the play. I'm just stating the obvious -- a faster guy would have gotten to the corner faster.

And you are right about the Reimold play. I suspect that we've seen the last of him in CF now that Bourn and Stubbs are here. He did a credible job for the most part but he has no business being in CF.

Kirby's "guard the gaps, concede the corners" strategy really does seem to be taken to an extreme this year. We have had some not-great-to-bad corner OFs in recent years - Cruz, Delmon, Pearce, Reimold, etc. I don't know that Trumbo and Kim are much worse. I wonder if this is a shift in the organization's philosophy. They must have some numbers on this and I am sure it evens out but I have not seen them really discuss the logic of it publicly.

[El Gordo]

Kirby's "guard the gaps, concede the corners" strategy really does seem to be taken to an extreme this year. We have had some not-great-to-bad corner OFs in recent years - Cruz, Delmon, Pearce, Reimold, etc. I don't know that Trumbo and Kim are much worse. I wonder if this is a shift in the organization's philosophy. They must have some numbers on this and I am sure it evens out but I have not seen them really discuss the logic of it publicly.

I'd be surprise if they didn't have numbers to support this.

[Frobby]

September 2

- Gardner led off the game with a single but Wieters picked him off first.

- Schoop took a high bouncer well behind the 2B and fired a strike to 1B with his momentum carrying him away towards the OF. Very few 2B could make that throw.

- Davis made a nice pick on a throw by Manny from deep behind the bag.

- Manny caught a screaming liner to the SS side in the 9th.

- Davis fielded a ground ball that hit 1B without a hitch.

Nice night with the gloves.

[OFFNY]

o

(vs. TIGERS, 9/10)

In the bottom of the 4th inning, Chris Davis did what Manny Machado should have done in a game not too long ago ........ take the sure out at 1st base with a big lead.

Zach Britton made the same mistake in a different game ........ not getting the sure out at 1st base when the Orioles had a 2-run lead in the 9th inning.

[OFFNY]

o

(vs. TIGERS, 9/11)

Adam Jones made 2 scintillating plays in centerfield in the bottom of the 3rd inning to help Chris Tillman keep the Tigers off of the scoreboard.

[OFFNY]

o

(vs. RED SOX, 9/12)

The Red Sox have 4 runs in in the 1st inning, there's nobody out, and the Orioles' defense has been horrible.

[Aristotelian]

9/14 vs Red Sox:

In the 1st, Wieters dropped a towering pop-up by Ortiz that got blown around in the wind, to bring up Betts with a man on (Ortiz, not hustling, only made it to 1st base).

However, Manny makes a great play on a hard one-hopper to his backhand side, then the long throw to get Betts and get Gausman out of the inning.

http://m.mlb.com/video/v1165494883/balbos-machado-makes-a-great-stop-to-deny-betts/?game_pk=449036

On another pop-up into the wind, Schoop made a catch in foul territory despite nearly colliding with both Davis and the wall.

http://m.mlb.com/video/v1166016883/balbos-schoop-makes-the-catch-amidst-a-collision/?game_pk=449036

[OFFNY]

9/14, @ Red Sox:

In the 1st, Wieters dropped a towering pop-up by Ortiz that got blown around in the wind, to bring up Betts with a man on (Ortiz, not hustling, only made it to 1st base).

However, Manny makes a great play on a hard one-hopper to his backhand side, then the long throw to get Betts and get Gausman out of the inning.

http://m.mlb.com/video/v1165494883/balbos-machado-makes-a-great-stop-to-deny-betts/?game_pk=449036

On another pop-up into the wind, Schoop made a catch in foul territory despite nearly colliding with both Davis and the wall.

http://m.mlb.com/video/v1166016883/balbos-schoop-makes-the-catch-amidst-a-collision/?game_pk=449036

o

Look at the little Oriole fan in the front row, clapping after he saw that Schoop made the catch !!!

He's like a little Patrick from the 1970's.)