The Defense Thread, 2017

[Frobby]

This team is just unwatchable right now.

By the way, Ruben Tejada is a terrible baseball player.    The guy has no instincts whatsoever.    Please release him.   

[eddie83]

8 minutes ago, Frobby said:

This team is just unwatchable right now.

By the way, Ruben Tejada is a terrible baseball player.    The guy has no instincts whatsoever.    Please release him.   

Don't get Buck letting him hit in the 6th. Why is Giavotella here? He hits for him in the 9th. 

[Frobby]

Just now, eddie83 said:

Don't get Buck letting him hit in the 6th. Why is Giavotella here? He hits for him in the 9th. 

Good point.    Don't want to get off-topic in this thread, but you're right.  

[eddie83]

Just now, Frobby said:

Good point.    Don't want to get off-topic in this thread, but you're right.  

Just venting Frobby.  I hate watching this garbage. 

[El Gordo]

I demand a public apology from the team.

[eddie83]

They need to develop athletic players in the OF. Hope some of these kids on the farm pan out.  

[Going Underground]

I have been saying all year the lack of fundamentals. Even when winning in rhe beginning of the season they had bad fundamentals. Guy scores from first base on a botched play by Tejada. The missing of cut off men and throwing to the wrong base continues.Hate to say this but Jones has missed many cut off men.His arm also is terrible this year. Probably hurt. Also please stop with Joseph is a great pitch callet.Dempsey just complained about his pitch caller.Dempsey even said lack of effort is hurting the defense.He thinks they lose focus with this pitching staff 

[El Gordo]

I love Mancini but I'd rather have him in the OF. CD would have made both those plays.

[eddie83]

1 minute ago, Going Underground said:

I have been saying all year the lack of fundamentals. Even when winning in rhe beginning of the season they had bad fundamentals. Guy scores from first base on a botched play by Tejada. The missing of cut off men and throwing to the wrong base continues.Hate to say this but Jones has missed many cut off men.His arm also is terrible this year Probably hurt Also please stop with Joseph is a great pitch callet.Dempsey just complained about his pitch caller.Dempsey even said lack of effort is hurting the defense.He thinks they lose focus with this pitching staff 

Caleb is Bench on defense compared to Castillo. Mancini is not a good defender. Jones has regressed no doubt. Davis not being here is glaring after tonight. 

[eddie83]

1 minute ago, El Gordo said:

I love Mancini but I'd rather have him in the OF. CD would have made both those plays.

That is just it, he is a 1B by trade. I agree with you. He looks better out there.  

[Frobby]

I've rarely had a problem with lack of mental alertness on defense with Buck's teams, but that was certainly the case tonight.    This really did bring back memories of the awful teams of the 2000's.

I'm going to single out a play that actually ended with a good result. Rosario on third, infield in with nobody out.    Ground ball goes straight to Tejada and Rosario freezes at roughly the midpoint between third and home.     So what does Tejada do?    Throws behind the runner to Manny, who has a much tougher angle to throw home than Tejada had.    Fortunately, Manny made a quick, accurate throw and the runner was out, but the obvious play there was for Tejada to run straight towards the runner, make him commit and then throw the ball.    Tejada's decision made no sense whatsoever.    

[eddie83]

7 minutes ago, Frobby said:

I've rarely had a problem with lack of mental alertness on defense with Buck's teams, but that was certainly the case tonight.    This really did bring back memories of the awful teams of the 2000's.

I'm going to single out a play that actually ended with a good result. Rosario on third, infield in with nobody out.    Ground ball goes straight to Tejada and Rosario freezes at roughly the midpoint between third and home.     So what does Tejada do?    Throws behind the runner to Manny, who has a much tougher angle to throw home than Tejada had.    Fortunately, Manny made a quick, accurate throw and the runner was out, but the obvious play there was for Tejada to run straight towards the runner, make him commit and then throw the ball.    Tejada's decision made no sense whatsoever.    

Hardy wasn't the same this year but his steady glove will be missed. Many metrics measure many things but not everything shows up.  

[Going Underground]

36 minutes ago, Frobby said:

This team is just unwatchable right now.

By the way, Ruben Tejada is a terrible baseball player.    The guy has no instincts whatsoever.    Please release him.   

Flaherty compared to Ruben and Janish is Babe Ruth and Ozzie Smith.

[Frobby]

I've been too depressed to update this thread daily, and besides, I've been watching fewer games.    But I couldn't let yesterday's game against the Astros pass without commenting on the comical effort made by Trumbo on a fly ball by Altuve that landed near the wall.    I don't know why, but Trumbo is absolutely terrified of hitting the wall, and it was never more apparent than on this play.   Trumbo had plenty of time to get back on this ball, and I think it actually landed on the warning track rather than hitting the wall on the fly, but as soon as Trumbo sensed he was nearing the warning track he stopped running, hesitated, then backpedaled a step or two, then turned sideways, then stuck his glove out about belt high and just hoped the ball would plop in there, but it was at least 18 inches away.    It honestly reminded me of being in Little League.   

[Ruzious]

6 minutes ago, Frobby said:

I've been too depressed to update this thread daily, and besides, I've been watching fewer games.    But I couldn't let yesterday's game against the Astros pass without commenting on the comical effort made by Trumbo on a fly ball by Altuve that landed near the wall.    I don't know why, but Trumbo is absolutely terrified of hitting the wall, and it was never more apparent than on this play.   Trumbo had plenty of time to get back on this ball, and I think it actually landed on the warning track rather than hitting the wall on the fly, but as soon as Trumbo sensed he was nearing the warning track he stopped running, hesitated, then backpedaled a step or two, then turned sideways, then stuck his glove out about belt high and just hoped the ball would plop in there, but it was at least 18 inches away.    It honestly reminded me of being in Little League.   

I'm glad you said that - since I was listening on the radio at the time, and the guys on the radio didn't mention that Trumbo miss-played it.  I think the play-by-play guy was a fill-in from one of the O's minor league teams, and Ben McDonald was doing color.  I was wondering, because - generally speaking - a RFer playing against a power-hitter shouldn't let a ball land behind him unless it's a real line-drive.  Trumbo should be strictly a DH/1Bman.  I like Ben a lot, but he's got to chirp up in that situation.