Wayne Kirby's Outfield Positioning (A rant thread)

[scOtt]

So you're SURE Kirby thinks our pitching is "pitifully weak"?

Piece. Of. Work.

And you think it's only Kirby? Behind all this?

[scOtt]

Why do we allow these ridiculous witch hunt threads?

[Old#5fan]

Why do we allow these ridiculous witch hunt threads?

I express my opinion/belief that questions a very questionable (to say the least) strategy of positioning corner outfielders in the gaps most of the time and I am on a "witch hunt"? Man you don't exaggerate or over react much now do you? :rolleyestf:

[DrungoHazewood]

Now you are going to criticize my "tone"? And you have the gall to accuse me of being out of line in questioning coaching decisions? When you are nit picking my so called "tone"! unbelievable is all I can say! Look I love Buck as the O's manager and next to Earl he is hands down their best ever. But I have questioned some things he has done or not done as well. For example leaving pitchers in a batter too long or not pulling the infield in closer when Britton was losing games last year by giving up dinky infield hits. Doesn't mean I am claiming I know more than anyone - just frustrating to watch. Apparently you are not an NFL fan as if you were you would be familiar with fans questioning just about every move a coach makes if they lose the game! Nobody thinks they are out of line for doing that but it is the norm!

That's a bug, not a feature. I get upset when things don't go poorly, but I try to refrain from taking the time to start entire threads about how I know more about data-driven decisions like positioning than the people with access to the data.

I'm guessing NFL coaches who spend many hours with their staffs going over opposing trends don't backtrack and admit random fans know better than they do after a loss.

Posts like yours are one of the reasons innovation takes so long to get a foothold. Even if you know your new way is right, whenever something goes against you the fans and the media will rip the new strategy to shreds. Even if it was correct. A lot of organizations would rather be wrong and conventional because it gives them an out, and they don't have to face the pitchfork mob as much.

[Redskins Rick]

Why do we allow these ridiculous witch hunt threads?

Because this is the internet and posters have free speech, but it does get old, that's for sure.

[Larry18]

This ain't football.We do this everyday.

[Frobby]

No not at all but I think Kirby has fallen in love with guarding the gaps as a rule of thumb - I cannot believe if you have been watching the games this season you haven't noticed? Or even if you took the time to read the chain of posts on this thread others are agreeing with me and have observed this also.

I have not noticed that the O's corner outfielders tend to play the gaps more than the average team. I am not saying you are wrong, merely that I haven't noticed it. I also haven't noticed a large number of bloop hits down the line falling in. Other than the Moreland bloop last Thursday, and a play that Flaherty misjudged in the corner up in Fenway, I can't think of one. Do you have some specific plays you are thinking of?

[thezeroes]

Spray Charts for Mitch Moreland against Right Handed Pitchers with a 1 ball 0 strikes count.

http://www.brooksbaseball.net/h_spray.php?player=519048&gFilt=&time=month&minmax=ci&var=count&s_type=15&startDate=03/30/2007&endDate=04/18/2016&balls=1&strikes=0&b_hand=R

[Frobby]

Spray Charts for Mitch Moreland against Right Handed Pitchers with a 1 ball 0 strikes count.

http://www.brooksbaseball.net/h_spray.php?player=519048&gFilt=&time=month&minmax=ci&var=count&s_type=15&startDate=03/30/2007&endDate=04/18/2016&balls=1&strikes=0&b_hand=R

So far this year, Moreland ranks in the top 20 among qualifiers in the percentage of balls he pulls, and in the bottom 20 in the balls he hits the opposite way (16%).

[thezeroes]

Mitch More;and SPRAY CHART for 2016 (Where he hits the BALL on contact).

http://www.brooksbaseball.net/h_spray.php?player=519048&balls=-1&strikes=-1&b_hand=-1&time=month&minmax=ci&var=count&s_type=13&gFilt=&startDate=01/01/2016&endDate=01/01/2017

[Old#5fan]

I have not noticed that the O's corner outfielders tend to play the gaps more than the average team. I am not saying you are wrong, merely that I haven't noticed it. I also haven't noticed a large number of bloop hits down the line falling in. Other than the Moreland bloop last Thursday, and a play that Flaherty misjudged in the corner up in Fenway, I can't think of one. Do you have some specific plays you are thinking of?

Yes those two have been the most glaring but when the corner outfielders play the gaps they can seldom get to a foul ball and often seem to miss an out because of it too.

[MurphDogg]

Yes those two have been the most glaring but when the corner outfielders play the gaps they can seldom get to a foul ball and often seem to miss an out because of it too.

I would rather they get to balls in the gap than foul balls, wouldn't you?

[Old#5fan]

I would rather they get to balls in the gap than foul balls, wouldn't you?

Not necessarily. What if they are playing the gaps and the hiiter hits several foul balls that should be caught with normal positioning and then finally hits one to the gap and it is caught? I personally would rather take the late swing out which is more often due to a better quality pitch by the pitcher than a ball hit to the gap.

[weams]

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/players-view-the-difference-between-left-and-right-field/

[weams]

Because this is the internet and posters have free speech, but it does get old, that's for sure.

Free speech just means you can't get arrested for it...