A few comments on our baserunning

[Frobby]

As I'm sure everyone has noticed, the Orioles have attempted by far the fewest steals in the league (15), and they haven't been very successful when they've tried (60% success rate, 13th in the AL).

In other aspects of baserunning, however, they haven't been bad at all. BB-ref has the Orioles as neutral on runs gained/lost due to baserunning. They have taken an extra base on a single or a double 41% of the time, which is league average. Putting aside caught stealing, they have made only 14 outs on the bases, tied for lowest in the league. They've only been picked off twice, second lowest in the league. http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL/2016-baserunning-batting.shtml

I do have to note that Baseball Prospectus slightly disagrees with BB-ref, calculating that the O's have lost 2.3 runs on baserunning compared to the average team. http://www.baseballprospectus.com/sortable/index.php?cid=1920874 Certainly it's not a major factor in any event.

[Redskins Rick]

As I'm sure everyone has noticed, the Orioles have attempted by far the fewest steals in the league (15), and they haven't been very successful when they've tried (60% success rate, 13th in the AL).

In other aspects of baserunning, however, they haven't been bad at all. BB-ref has the Orioles as neutral on runs gained/lost due to baserunning. They have taken an extra base on a single or a double 41% of the time, which is league average. Putting aside caught stealing, they have made only 14 outs on the bases, tied for lowest in the league. They've only been picked off twice, second lowest in the league. http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL/2016-baserunning-batting.shtml

I do have to note that Baseball Prospectus slightly disagrees with BB-ref, calculating that the O's have lost 2.3 runs on baserunning compared to the average team. http://www.baseballprospectus.com/sortable/index.php?cid=1920874 Certainly it's not a major factor in any event.

Nice post.

They don't steal much, but they do appear to be aggressive on the base paths, when the ball has been hit.

[pastorfan]

Nice post.

They don't steal much, but they do appear to be aggressive on the base paths, when the ball has been hit.

I do wish they utilized the sacrifice a bit more. They have ONE sacrifice bunt all year, the AL average is eight. As old school as buck is, I am surprised.

[jjnono]

I do wish they utilized the sacrifice a bit more. They have ONE sacrifice bunt all year, the AL average is eight. As old school as buck is, I am surprised.

I'm pretty sure that we don't bunt because we can't bunt, i.e., this is not a skill set possessed by many players on the team... I was disappointed when Nolan Reimold didn't lay one down in the 8th yesterday, but I pretty much just figured it was because he couldn't.

[Hallas]

I do wish they utilized the sacrifice a bit more. They have ONE sacrifice bunt all year, the AL average is eight. As old school as buck is, I am surprised.

The number of players I'd sac bunt in our lineup is basically, Flaherty and whoever's catching for Wieters. That's about it.

Pretty sure that no one in their right minds would have Schoop, Wieters, Trumbo, Machado, Jones, even Kim and Alvarez to some extent, sac bunt. I may (big maybe) have Davis sac bunt if I can be convinced that he can get it off on the left side against the shift. But you're taking the chance for a long ball out of his hands. I'm not sure that's a worthwhile tradeoff. With runners on, even a 5% chance for a home run is pretty huge, and no one hits home runs like Davis.

[Redskins Rick]

I watch a lot of games as I"m sure you do. I see so many times when the hitter just doesn't execute the sacrifice and then plenty of times when it is executed and the run still doesn't score. I'm good with the no bunts strategy.

I think it was Buck a couple of weeks again, po-poing the sac bunt and how it works against you more than it works for you.

[OFFNY]

o

 

(vs. BLUE JAYS, 9/01)

 

Last night, Manny Machado was not the only one who was hustling around the bases on the final play of the game.

Jonathan Schoop was heading into 3rd base when the throw came home from the relay man, just in case Machado had been thrown out at the plate ........ in which case, the Orioles still would have had the potential winning run on 3rd base with only 1 out.

 

o

[Frobby]

Great baserunning by both of them.    By the way, the relay throw home was pathetic.    If Schoop had been making that throw, Manny might have been out.  

[spiritof66]

On 6/6/2016 at 2:14 PM, RZNJ said:

I watch a lot of games as I"m sure you do. I see so many times when the hitter just doesn't execute the sacrifice and then plenty of times when it is executed and the run still doesn't score. I'm good with the no bunts strategy.

I agree with this, but there is, IMO, one pretty clear exception. When one run is critical, in extra innings for the home team for example, and you want to move a runner (or even score a runner from third), having a batter bunt can be very useful, especially if he's a weak hitter, strikes out a lot or is a high DP risk and first base is occupied.

The problem with bunting is that when the bunt is used rarely, most batters won't know how to select a buntable pitch and then execute a successful bunt. I don't understand why so many major league ballplayers -- who spend hundreds of hours working, almost every day, on their hitting -- are such bad bunters. In these situations, having a bunt in your offensive arsenal can help even if you don't bunt. (Different but related point: If Chris Davis learned to bunt, and in the first 30 games of the season bunted toward third base ten times with the bases empty, five times successfully, would that affect the shifts used against him and improve his offensive output when he didn't bunt?  I don't know but I think so.)

[Aristotelian]

1 hour ago, Frobby said:

Great baserunning by both of them.    By the way, the relay throw home was pathetic.    If Schoop had been making that throw, Manny might have been out.  

Well that's not exactly a fair standard. Schoop has one of the best arms on the planet. I thought it was an RBI double all the way. Would have taken a tremendous play to get him from that far away.

[Frobby]

9 minutes ago, Aristotelian said:

Well that's not exactly a fair standard. Schoop has one of the best arms on the planet. I thought it was an RBI double all the way. Would have taken a tremendous play to get him from that far away.

I am spoiled.    The O's are tremendous on relay throws.