The Defense Thread, 2016

[OFFNY]

o

(vs. WHITE SOX, 4/30)

2 errors in one inning by Manny Machado and Jonathan Jonathan Schoop early in the game.

Matt Wieters standing up and cocking his arm (essentially TELLING the umpire that the pitch was a ball) on what would have been strike 3 and the end of the inning late in the game.

[Frobby]

o

(vs. WHITE SOX, 4/30)

2 errors in one inning by Manny Machado and Jonathan Jonathan Schoop early in the game.

Matt Wieters standing up and cocking his arm (essentially TELLING the umpire that the pitch was a ball) on what would have been strike 3 and the end of the inning late in the game.

I was at the game, sitting behind 1B, and was surprised to come home and learn that the first error was charged to Machado. From my angle, and without the benefit of replay, I thought it was a reasonably good throw that Schoop failed to catch because he was thinking about the relay throw. Wrong?

[El Gordo]

I was at the game, sitting behind 1B, and was surprised to come home and learn that the first error was charged to Machado. From my angle, and without the benefit of replay, I thought it was a reasonably good throw that Schoop failed to catch because he was thinking about the relay throw. Wrong?

Yes he has to be playing for the DP there. He was in position to turn it, but the throw sailed behind him. If he was just positioning himself to take the throw for the force he might have caught, it but the R would have scored. Manny blew a routine throw.

[LookitsPuck]

I was at the game, sitting behind 1B, and was surprised to come home and learn that the first error was charged to Machado. From my angle, and without the benefit of replay, I thought it was a reasonably good throw that Schoop failed to catch because he was thinking about the relay throw. Wrong?

Pretty routine throw that Manny threw behind Schoop. That said, it should have been caught to at the very least get the first out at 2B. And then when the throw came in to just sit there flabbergasted was inexcusable.

Also, the throw down on the attempted steal should have been caught, too.

[UpstateNYfan]

In some ways Schoop made two errors in that inning. I couldn't tell on replays how far toward first MM's throw was, but JS was wrong footed at the bag. He had his left foot planted on the bag when the throw arrived. He couldn't adjust to the throw to the left. I don't know if JS was slow to the bag or what. Adjusting to a 90 mph throw is not easy and again I couldn't tell how far the throw was off, maybe it was off by too much to possibly catch. Regardless, it seemed like poor mechanics to me.

[Frobby]

Thanks. From where I was sitting it seemed the fault was entirely Schoop's, but I guess my viewing angle didn't allow me to see that Manny's throw was off-line.

Manny did make two excellent plays, one where he backhanded a high bouncer almost directly behind 3B and used his gun of an arm to nab the runner, and other where he dove to his left to glove a ball, scrambled to his feet while doing a 360, and threw to first for the out.

Wieters made a really good tag play on the play at the plate where the runner was called safe after a lengthy review. I agree with the call, but the speed with which Wieters grabbed the throw on the bounce and swept his arm behind for the tag was impressive nonetheless.

[eddie83]

Pretty routine throw that Manny threw behind Schoop. That said, it should have been caught to at the very least get the first out at 2B. And then when the throw came in to just sit there flabbergasted was inexcusable.

Also, the throw down on the attempted steal should have been caught, too.

That steal cost a run, to be fair looked like Lawrie knocked it out and it wasn't dropped before he got there.

[malkusm]

Thanks. From where I was sitting it seemed the fault was entirely Schoop's, but I guess my viewing angle didn't allow me to see that Manny's throw was off-line.

Manny did make two excellent plays, one where he backhanded a high bouncer almost directly behind 3B and used his gun of an arm to nab the runner, and other where he dove to his left to glove a ball, scrambled to his feet while doing a 360, and threw to first for the out.

Wieters made a really good tag play on the play at the plate where the runner was called safe after a lengthy review. I agree with the call, but the speed with which Wieters grabbed the throw on the bounce and swept his arm behind for the tag was impressive nonetheless.

Don't forget the DP he started in the 1st inning, on a soft (broken bat?) liner that fell just in front of him. Bobbled the transfer but didn't panic, knowing the runner (Abreu I think), and fired a strike to Schoop.

[El Gordo]

A huge mistake by Wieters, IMO, when he stood up much too soon and blocked the ump on the 2-2 pitch to Sanchez. Salt to the wound, the runner wasn't even going.

The runner broke and then stopped, can't fault Wieters for reacting.

[Frobby]

A few observations about the defense in April:

- By the "standard stats" we had a good month. .48 errors per game was 3rd best in the AL, 5 unearned runs was tied for 4th.

- The "advanced metrics" liked our infield, but hated our corner OF. UZR had us at -4.8, with -8.1 in the OF and +3.3 in the IF. Rtot has us at -1, with Manny at +6 and Hardy at +3, but Rickard at a whopping -9 and Trumbo -5.

- Only 4 baserunners have attempted a steal on Wieters (2 of 4 CS), while 14 have attempted a steal on Joseph (3 of 14 CS).

[Aristotelian]

A few observations about the defense in April:

- By the "standard stats" we had a good month. .48 errors per game was 3rd best in the AL, 5 unearned runs was tied for 4th.

- The "advanced metrics" liked our infield, but hated our corner OF. UZR had us at -4.8, with -8.1 in the OF and +3.3 in the IF. Rtot has us at -1, with Manny at +6 and Hardy at +3, but Rickard at a whopping -9 and Trumbo -5.

- Only 4 baserunners have attempted a steal on Wieters (2 of 4 CS), while 14 have attempted a steal on Joseph (3 of 14 CS).

Note that almost all of Caleb's SB allowed have come with Ubaldo pitching. Buck is throwing CJ under the bus by making him Ubaldo's personal catcher. I would expect some ugly SB numbers against him if Ubaldo is pitching for 50% of his starts.

[Frobby]

5/1

It took exactly one batter to see the difference between having Manny vs. Alvarez at 3B. Alvarez took over at 3B in the 6th while Manny moved to SS. The very first hitter hit a hooking line drive that glanced off Alvarez's glove for a double, that Manny undoubtedly would have caught.

Earlier, there was a rather amazing play where Manny dove for a ball in the hole, the ball tipped the very end of his glove and ricocheted upwards, Hardy (who had been running towards the hole behind Manny) speared it instinctively and then threw across his body and got it to 1B on one hop where Davis speared it. Should be a SportsCenter top 10 play.

Listening on the radio, I think Jones misjudged a bloop by Lawrie that wouldn't have fallen in if Jones hadn't broken back. I also saw a play just now where a hit fell in front of Rickard that he didn't charge.

[Can_of_corn]

5/1

It took exactly one batter to see the difference between having Manny vs. Alvarez at 3B. Alvarez took over at 3B in the 6th while Manny moved to SS. The very first hitter hit a hooking line drive that glanced off Alvarez's glove for a double, that Manny undoubtedly would have caught.

Earlier, there was a rather amazing play where Manny dove for a ball in the hole, the ball tipped the very end of his glove and ricocheted upwards, Hardy (who had been running towards the hole behind Manny) speared it instinctively and then threw across his body and got it to 1B on one hop where Davis speared it. Should be a SportsCenter top 10 play.

Listening on the radio, I think Jones misjudged a bloop by Lawrie that wouldn't have fallen in if Jones hadn't broken back. I also saw a play just now where a hit fell in front of Rickard that he didn't charge.

Nolan had an assist at home.

I haven't seen him do much damage to the O's in the outfield so far.

[backwardsk]

Hardy also had a nice play in the hole with a strong throw and Davis picking it. This was different than the 5-6-3 play.

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[Il BuonO]

Nolan had an assist at home.

I haven't seen him do much damage to the O's in the outfield so far.

That's because he's been an asset out there. DRS has him slightly above average (+2).