Kim is slow?

[BirdAttack]

I thought Kim is slow as I read on this board and online numerous times.

I saw his base running today and he looked fast to me, from 1st to 3rd on a center field hit by Schoop.

I got to say today's win came from his legs.

Also, props to Alvarez to hang the ball for the winning run!

Let's go O's! :2yay-thumb:

[pollaxt]

Whatever slowness Kim may have, he makes up for it with hustle and good baserunning.

He does look awfully clunky running though with his short strides.

[oriole]

I'm glad Kim is contributing. I had my doubts and maybe Spring Training had me give up on him too fast but so far he looks like a solid enough player.

[Bmorefan24]

His speed caught me off guard a bit as well. Reimold has always been deceivingly fast... Think Kim may be the same way.

[El Gordo]

Whatever slowness Kim may have, he makes up for it with hustle and good baserunning.

He does look awfully clunky running though with his short strides.

And of course it's better to look good than to run good.

[ChuckS]

My eyeballs may be lying to me but he looks to me to have above average speed up the first baseline and at least average speed going around the base paths. I think he gets up the first base line faster than Adam for example. Fairly routine groundout to short today and he was only thrown out by a stride.

[Filmstudy]

He's LH, so he gets to 1B quicker than many RHB, but let's not forget the other elements of what you just watched:

1. Kim went 1st to 3rd on Ellsbury, who's throw from shallow/medium CF on the ensuing sac fly made it all the way to the pitcher's mound (on one hop and and off line)

2. As soon as he got to 3rd, he was replaced by PR Reimold

[ChuckS]

He's LH, so he gets to 1B quicker than many RHB, but let's not forget the other elements of what you just watched:

1. Kim went 1st to 3rd on Ellsbury, who's throw from shallow/medium CF on the ensuing sac fly made it all the way to the pitcher's mound (on one hop and and off line)

2. As soon as he got to 3rd, he was replaced by PR Reimold

He may be a lefty, but I think he gets up the line faster than anyone on the team not named Rickard or Reimold. First to third speed seems comparable to a guy like Schoop, maybe a little bit better.

Although it is an advantage getting up the line as a lefty he's still noticeably faster than many other lefties IMO. Part of it may have to be do with his swing that already puts him in motion towards first.

[BohKnowsBmore]

My eyeballs may be lying to me but he looks to me to have above average speed up the first baseline and at least average speed going around the base paths. I think he gets up the first base line faster than Adam for example. Fairly routine groundout to short today and he was only thrown out by a stride.

I think he may do that stride-through backswing out of the LH batter's box that gets him a head start. Good hustle too. Reimold definitely should have been subbed as a runner for him, though. Good move by Buck.

[JKOriole]

He's LH, so he gets to 1B quicker than many RHB, but let's not forget the other elements of what you just watched:

1. Kim went 1st to 3rd on Ellsbury, who's throw from shallow/medium CF on the ensuing sac fly made it all the way to the pitcher's mound (on one hop and and off line)

2. As soon as he got to 3rd, he was replaced by PR Reimold

Kim was comfortably into third - I'm not sure a better throw would've gotten him anyway. Plus, the fact that Ellsbury has a weak arm and the fact that Hyun Soo knew that would indicate he is a smart base runner for heading for third. Let's not be so quick to discount his accomplishment.

[BirdAttack]

His speed caught me off guard a bit as well. Reimold has always been deceivingly fast... Think Kim may be the same way.

That might be the case. It might be the appearance which fools people.

Probably that's why he gets so many infield hits, which should normally be a ground out.

[Filmstudy]

Kim was comfortably into third - I'm not sure a better throw would've gotten him anyway. Plus, the fact that Ellsbury has a weak arm and the fact that Hyun Soo knew that would indicate he is a smart base runner for heading for third. Let's not be so quick to discount his accomplishment.

There are folks here who Frank Robinson sliding under the leaping Sanguillen to score the run that forced game 7 of the 1971 WS. Eerily similar circumstances.

1. Frank, suffering from a foot injury (can't recall exactly the nature) loped uneasily from 1st to 3rd on Rettenmund's 1-out single to CF.

2. Frank wasn't removed for a PR, but Brooks then lifted a 250-260 foot fly to CF and Robinson beat the throw home.

Al Oliver was the starting CF, who was known as having one of the weakest arms in the AL later in his career, but Oliver was removed as part of a double switch in the top of the 10th for pinch hitter Vic Davallio whose arm was probably worse.

Anyway, I'm happy Frank had all the skills necessary to exploit Davalillo twice, but it certainly did not make him fast with that injury. That's the way I feel about trying to project the future based on Kim's performance versus Ellsbury's arm tonight.

[JKOriole]

There are folks here who Frank Robinson sliding under the leaping Sanguillen to score the run that forced game 7 of the 1971 WS. Eerily similar circumstances.

1. Frank, suffering from a foot injury (can't recall exactly the nature) loped uneasily from 1st to 3rd on Rettenmund's 1-out single to CF.

2. Frank wasn't removed for a PR, but Brooks then lifted a 250-260 foot fly to CF and Robinson beat the throw home.

Al Oliver was the starting CF, who was known as having one of the weakest arms in the AL later in his career, but Oliver was removed as part of a double switch in the top of the 10th for pinch hitter Vic Davallio whose arm was probably worse.

Anyway, I'm happy Frank had all the skills necessary to exploit Davalillo twice, but it certainly did not make him fast with that injury. That's the way I feel about trying to project the future based on Kim's performance versus Ellsbury's arm tonight.

I can't say I really understand the point you're trying to make as it relates to Kim. I'm simply saying he is faster and a more savvy base runner than many people (incl. yourself) want to give him credit for.

Edit: I get it now. Fair enough

[NashLumber]

There are folks here who Frank Robinson sliding under the leaping Sanguillen to score the run that forced game 7 of the 1971 WS. Eerily similar circumstances.

1. Frank, suffering from a foot injury (can't recall exactly the nature) loped uneasily from 1st to 3rd on Rettenmund's 1-out single to CF.

2. Frank wasn't removed for a PR, but Brooks then lifted a 250-260 foot fly to CF and Robinson beat the throw home.

Al Oliver was the starting CF, who was known as having one of the weakest arms in the AL later in his career, but Oliver was removed as part of a double switch in the top of the 10th for pinch hitter Vic Davallio whose arm was probably worse.

Anyway, I'm happy Frank had all the skills necessary to exploit Davalillo twice, but it certainly did not make him fast with that injury. That's the way I feel about trying to project the future based on Kim's performance versus Ellsbury's arm tonight.

Good analogy. Smart baserunning and reads by Frank and Kim. I remember that well and it's one of my best memories of him. I was about two weeks from turning 10 during that World Series. I still have that baseball card that shows that slide under the leaping Sanguillen.

[allquixotic]

Kim isn't the O's most valuable player or anything, but he's developed from "probably a complete waste of $7 million" to "might get most of our money's worth, especially if we have to play him a lot due to someone getting injured".

Having him play once or twice a week isn't a good way to get value out of him, but we'll get to see just how good he really is with regular ABs if injury strikes the guy(s) in front of him.