The Defense Thread, 2017

[LA2]

My enthusiasm for Schoop's hitting is sapped by his lackadaisical d (doesn't deserve upper-case letter). It's embarrassingly bad. It must have a bad effect on the rest of the team during its current struggles. I hope it doesn't turn into a complex.

[Aristotelian]

2 hours ago, Frobby said:

Game 67, June 16

I've missed watching a lot of games lately, so it's been a while since I've posted in this thread.    I didn't see yesterday's game either, but I did see a replay of Manny's ridiculous throw in the 8th inning, deep in foul territory, deep behind the bag, and at a very difficult body angle.    He threw it with Chinese mustard on it and beat the runner by a full step.     That play may have been in Manny's personal top ten.

On a sour note, Jonathan Schoop made his ninth error on the year.   That's the most errors he's ever had in a season, and we're only 67 games in.   

Currently on front page of mlb.com (because the Yankees lost):

http://m.mlb.com/video/topic/155065792/v1510600983

[bobmc]

2 hours ago, Frobby said:

Game 67, June 16

I've missed watching a lot of games lately, so it's been a while since I've posted in this thread.    I didn't see yesterday's game either, but I did see a replay of Manny's ridiculous throw in the 8th inning, deep in foul territory, deep behind the bag, and at a very difficult body angle.    He threw it with Chinese mustard on it and beat the runner by a full step.     That play may have been in Manny's personal top ten.

On a sour note, Jonathan Schoop made his ninth error on the year.   That's the most errors he's ever had in a season, and we're only 67 games in.   

TBF, Jon was shielded by the ump on his error and also made another fine play charging and throwing across his body to nip the quick runner by an eyelash.  His big gun of an arm is still impressive to me - on DP's and on one play yesterday, knocking down a routine grounder but still having time to record the out.  #TheGreatMancini is developing as a gangly, goofy athletic first sacker who is unafraid but serviceable at first.  His laughable attempt on a popup hit between first and RF'er Smith might have been snared by Davis on a good day.  Seth slipped and let the ball fall in for a single.

[El Gordo]

Attention must be paid to Manny's Brooks II play. It was better than thew first one.

[bobmc]

3 hours ago, bobmc said:

TBF, Jon was shielded by the ump on his error and also made another fine play charging and throwing across his body to nip the quick runner by an eyelash.  His big gun of an arm is still impressive to me - on DP's and on one play yesterday, knocking down a routine grounder but still having time to record the out.  #TheGreatMancini is developing as a gangly, goofy athletic first sacker who is unafraid but serviceable at first.  His laughable attempt on a popup hit between first and RF'er Smith might have been snared by Davis on a good day.  Seth slipped and let the ball fall in for a single.

Also, IMO next best play of game was off a shot right back at Givens.  He protected himself with his glove, which was knocked off his hand. The ball fell behind him just off the mound about fifteen feet and he regrouped, nabbed ball and threw to #TheGreatMancini, who incredulously looked back at Mychael.

[OFFNY]

o

 

(vs. CARDINALS, 6/18)

 

Even though the really nice jumping snare of a hard line drive that Jonathan Schoop made in the top of the 6th inning will probably make a highlight reel somewhere, I am more impressed with two high popups that he caught earlier in the game in which he had to fight off an extremely strong sun in order to do so. 

 

o

[El Gordo]

Nice heads up DP by Mncini.

[Frobby]

Game 70, June 20

- Castillo picked a runner at 2B on a very close play that Francona didn't challenge.

- Castillo caught a foul pop leaning over the camera well while his foot slipped on the cement border.

- Manny made a nice catch on a pop up near the dugout that he initially didn't see.

- Manny, Schoop and Tejada turned a 5-4-6 double play, with Manny running a runner back towards 2B before throwing there to force the runner coming from 1st, and Schoop throwing a relay to Tejada covering 3B, who applied the tag. 

- There was a pop fly in shallow center where Jones called off Tejada at the last second and caught it almost at knee level while nearly colliding with Tejada.   I'm surprised he hung on to the ball.

- Mancini made a terrific scoop of a throw from Tejada that took a high short-hop to Mancini's backhand side.   

- With one out and two on in the ninth, Mancini fielded a grounder and made a lollipop throw to Tejada, and Santana beat the relay throw by a half step.    It's probably a DP if Davis is making the throw.    

[OFFNY]

1 hour ago, Frobby said:

 

Game 70, June 20

 

- Castillo picked a runner at 2B on a very close play that Francona didn't challenge.

- Castillo caught a foul pop leaning over the camera well while his foot slipped on the cement border.

- Manny made a nice catch on a pop-up near the dugout that he initially didn't see.

- Manny, Schoop, and Tejada turned a 5-4-6 double play, with Manny running a runner back towards 2B before throwing there to force the runner coming from 1st, and Schoop throwing a relay to Tejada covering 3B, who applied the tag.

- There was a pop-fly in shallow center where Jones called off Tejada at the last second, and caught it almost at knee-level while nearly colliding with Tejada. I'm surprised that he hung on to the ball.

- Mancini made a terrific scoop of a throw from Tejada that took a high, short-hop to Mancini's backhand side.   

- With one out and two on in the 9th, Mancini fielded a grounder and made a lollipop throw to Tejada, and Santana beat the relay throw by a half step. It probably would have been a DP if Chris Davis had been making the throw.    

 

o

 

In my rat's ass of an opinion, that was an extremely heads-up play by Tejada to cover 3rd base the way that he did.

 

o

[Frobby]

Game 74, June 24

- Manny snared a grounder behind the 3B bag, threw off balance from foul territory, and Mancini scooped the one-hopper for the out.  

- Schoop started two nice 4-6-3 DP's, one of which required a lightning fast turn from Janish to nab the runner.     

- With speedy Mallex Smith on first, Manny charged a squibber, saw that a Smith had rounded 2B on the play, and trapped him in a 5-6-5 rundown.    

- With a runner on 1st and one out in the 8th, Mancini ranged pretty far towards the 2B hole to nab a grounder and fired to Janish as he was crossing the bag.    Janish's momentum carried him another step or two towards 1B before he fired a rocket relay throw to Hart, who had run over from the mound but couldn't handle it.    The runner would have been out if he caught it.    Tough play because he was on the move and the throw was a bullet, but the throw was there.    

[OFFNY]

o

 

(vs. D-RAYS, 6/25)

 

Paul Ryan Janish made an excellent play to prevent potential disaster in the bottom of the 6th inning.

With one out and a runner on 2nd base, a ball hit right back to the mound was gloved by Orioles pitcher Richard Bleier. Bleier turned and nearly threw the ball into centerfield. Janish dove and snared the ball to not only prevent that from happening, but he also recovered to run toward the base-runner and throw the ball to Manny Machado, who then tagged the runner out.

 

o

[Frobby]

7 minutes ago, OFFNY said:

o

 

(vs. D-RAYS, 6/25)

 

Paul Ryan Janish made an excellent play to prevent potential disaster in the bottom of the 6th inning.

With one out and a runner on 2nd base, a ball hit right back to the mound was gloved by Orioles pitcher Richard Bleier. Bleier turned and nearly threw the ball into centerfield. Janish dove and snared the ball to not only prevent that from happening, but he also recovered to run toward the base-runner and throw the ball to Manny Machado, who then tagged him the runner out.

 

o

Bleier did a nice job to grab the bouncer, and be alert to catch the runner off 2B.    But his throw to 2B was off-line.

[Frobby]

Game 75, June 25

In addition to the Bleier/Janish play mentioned above:

- Gentry made at least three defensive plays in RF that Trumbo would not have made.    One was a liner in the RCF gap that neither Trumbo nor Smith would have caught, one was a catch in the RF corner that Smith might've caught but Trumbo would not have, the third was a short pop fly over Mancini's head that I think would have eluded both Smith and Trumbo.    There may have been a fourth one I'm forgetting.   

- Rickard did a nice job hustling over near the LF line to cut off a base hit and kept Mallex Smith from stretching it to a double.   

- Sucre hit a soft grounder to short that Janish fielded but his throw was too late.    It looked like a ball where Manny could have cut it off and made the throw.

- There was a slow bouncer up the middle that bounced off Janish's glove when he dove.     

[Frobby]

Game 76, June 27

The defensive play of the game was by Welington Castillo.    With runners on first and second, Givens threw a very wild pitch that advanced the runners to second and third with one out.    Next pitch, Givens uncorked an equally wild pitch, bouncing probably two feet inside the plate and tailing away, but Castillo dove headlong for it and made the stop.   If he doesn't block that pitch, it's 3-1 with a runner on third and only one out.    But the score held at 3-0 and Givens escaped the inning despite having serious command problems all inning.    

Earlier, Kevin Gausman made a nice play on a chopper to the left side of the mound, grabbing it running towards 3B and throwing while falling away.

[OFFNY]

o

 

(vs. TWINS, 7/07)

 

Beginning with Mancini early in the game, right on through to several additional horrible plays toward the end of the game, this has been the worst defensive game from the Orioles that I have seen in quite some time. 

 

o