The Defense Thread, 2017

[Frobby]

Game 1, April 3

A lot to talk about today.

- First play of the game, Seth Smith looked an awful lot like Mark Trumbo in RF, letting a lazy fly ball drop in front of him for a single.   

- Schoop had a tough day.    He booted a ball in the 2nd inning that was called a hit, double clutched on a potential throw to the plate to try to cut down the tying run, and bounced a DP relay throw but Davis was able to scoop it.   

- Davis by my count scooped four throws today, including a very tough one on a Hardy DP relay throw to his backhand up the 1B line.   

- In addition to bouncing a throw, Hardy had a grounder up the middle tick off his glove.   I don't think he could have thrown out the runner even if he'd gloved the grounder, but I was surprised he didn't glove it.   

- Manny made two otherworldly plays.    First he jumped to grab a sky high Pillar chopper and fired a rocket to nip the speedy Pillar by a quarter step.    Then he dove to grab a 105 mph smash down the line and somehow got off an off-balance throw from his knees in time to beat Travis.  

- Rickard, in as a defensive replacement, let a ball drop in front of him that I thought might have been catchable if he'd gotten a good jump.    But he was playing pretty deep, so it's a little hard to say.    

- There was a foul fly down the LF line that Kim didn't reach, that a speedier LF might have gotten to.  

[ChuckS]

I would have to see it again, but I don't recall Smith just letting the ball drop in. That was a blooper that would have been a tough play for anyone.  I thought he looked good on that relay to Schoop. More fluid playing the ball off the wall and getting rid of it than we've ever seen Trumbo.  

Rickard was playing deep.  He didn't get a good read, but he may have been fooled by the swing of Donaldson a bit.  I know I was.  

Schoop definitely had a tough day.  I'm not sure he had a great shot to get the runner at home who was running on the pitch, but was surprised that first boot wasn't ruled an error.  

Manny just being Manny.  

[Drifter]

This was Seth's 1st game as an Oriole at OPACY.. you can't overplay it in a park you are 'unfamiliar' with. Pass!

I'm hoping this was a new glove for Schoop (broken in 100% now).

Davis is a professional 1st baseman..and I'm happy he's there!

 

[El Gordo]

There was a tough sky today, it was giving everyone on both sides fits.

[sportsfan8703]

Gentry should probably be the first defensive sub rather it is LF or RF. He's a vet. Shouldn't matter if he has to come in and play LF for an inning or two then move to RF later on. 

I could give Rickard a break if he didn't look like that last year. Kim and Smith make Joey Bats look like a GG OFer. 

[weams]

7 hours ago, Frobby said:

Game 1, April 3

A lot to talk about today.

- First play of the game, Seth Smith looked an awful lot like Mark Trumbo in RF, letting a lazy fly ball drop in front of him for a single.   

- Schoop had a tough day.    He booted a ball in the 2nd inning that was called a hit, double clutched on a potential throw to the plate to try to cut down the tying run, and bounced a DP relay throw but Davis was able to scoop it.   

- Davis by my count scooped four throws today, including a very tough one on a Hardy DP relay throw to his backhand up the 1B line.   

- In addition to bouncing a throw, Hardy had a grounder up the middle tick off his glove.   I don't think he could have thrown out the runner even if he'd gloved the grounder, but I was surprised he didn't glove it.   

- Manny made two otherworldly plays.    First he jumped to grab a sky high Pillar chopper and fired a rocket to nip the speedy Pillar by a quarter step.    Then he dove to grab a 105 mph smash down the line and somehow got off an off-balance throw from his knees in time to beat Travis.  

- Rickard, in as a defensive replacement, let a ball drop in front of him that I thought might have been catchable if he'd gotten a good jump.    But he was playing pretty deep, so it's a little hard to say.    

- There was a foul fly down the LF line that Kim didn't reach, that a speedier LF might have gotten to.  

All of this true.

[weams]

“That’s just another Monday for Manny,” said Toronto’s Steve Pearce, Machado’s old teammate. “He makes those plays all the time, and it then hurts when he does it against you.”

http://www.baltimorebaseball.com/2017/04/03/thoughts-opening-day-win-trumbos-heroics-brittons-outing-machados-d-kickstarter/

[Going Underground]

I give Smith a pass on the first one. We shall see how it goes. Kim takes awhile to get started in the outfield.I think JJ's range is not great but positions himself well. Schoop had a bad day. Davis was really goog. 

[weams]

Davis was heroic. 

[Frobby]

Manny's play:

http://m.mlb.com/bal/video/v1255557083

[Aristotelian]

I was watching Toronto's feed. They were just in awe of Manny. Stuff like "we are so blessed just to be able to watch this kid play" and reverent comparisons to Brooks. We see Manny make these plays and it's "just Manny being Manny".

[Frobby]

April 5, Game 2

Not that eventful of a game.

- Mancini had two balls come his way in his RF debut.    The first was a single blooped in front of him that he charged nicely and made an accurate throw home on one hop, though arguably he should have thrown to the cutoff man.    The second was a high fly that it took him a second or two to track, but he got over in plenty of time to make the catch,

- Manny jumped high to glove a liner by Steve Pearce.    The ball popped out of his mitt on the way down, but Pearce had already stopped running so Manny picked it up and made a lazy lob to Davis, who had to come off the bag to grab it on a hop and then retreat to the base with Pearce nowhere in sight.  

- The game ended on a nicely turned 6-4-3 double play.    Schoop made a nice accurate throw with a runner bearing down on him.   

- There was one bloop single over Hardy's head towards CF where it seemed like Hardy didn't get a good read off the bat, but I'm not sure he could have caught it in any event.   

[Frobby]

April 7, game 3

Chris Davis was the story tonight, making 3 incredible scoops including a really tough one in the 9th off a throw from Zach Britton, one from Manny and one from Schoop.    There may have been a fourth that I'm forgetting.    Meanwhile, Greg Bird couldn't grab a pretty easy hop on a throw from Chase Headley, Schoop ends up on second base and scores on the Smith homer.    First base defense decided this game.   

Castillo made a perfect throw to 2B to nail Sanchez trying to steal, and did a nice job framing some pitches.

[Norfolk orioles]

Pretty bad defense tonight actually for a team with no errors, they all need to buy Crush some drinks.

[sportsfan8703]

2 hours ago, Frobby said:

April 7, game 3

Chris Davis was the story tonight, making 3 incredible scoops including a really tough one in the 9th off a throw from Zach Britton, one from Manny and one from Schoop.    There may have been a fourth that I'm forgetting.    Meanwhile, Greg Bird couldn't grab a pretty easy hop on a throw from Chase Headley, Schoop ends up on second base and scores on the Smith homer.    First base defense decided this game.   

Castillo made a perfect throw to 2B to nail Sanchez trying to steal, and did a nice job framing some pitches.

Davis is at GG level. I don't know how you justify dWAR but I see no drop off in play from the rest of the IF to him. Davis has picked tougher hops this year than the rest of the IF combined. He's GG level.