The Defense Thread, 2017

[Can_of_corn]

9 hours ago, phillyOs119 said:

I think the "player X won't get a chance at position X as long as Buck is here because of how much he values defense" argument has lost any remaining credibility.

 

The main thing Buck values is familiarity, for better or worse.

And dongs.

[eddie83]

9 hours ago, phillyOs119 said:

I think the "player X won't get a chance at position X as long as Buck is here because of how much he values defense" argument has lost any remaining credibility.

 

The main thing Buck values is familiarity, for better or worse.

I think he isn't willing to bench his regulars yet and didn't want Smith with his body to play on the turf in the OF for 3 days. 

[Frobby]

Game 145, Sept. 12

A lot of notable defense in this game.   

- Adam Jones made a leaping catch at the wall while on the run.    He didn't have time to camp under it, and though he didn't have to jump to his full ability, it was a tough catch.

- Rickard missed a similarly tough catch at the wall, gloving it initially but it caromed out of his glove when he hit the wall, and Toronto scored its first run.

- Jones made another nice running catch at the wall, in which he barely avoided a collision with Mancini.

- Manny stabbed a smash in the hole, then took a couple of beats before throwing it and made a poor throw that short-hopped Davis, who made a fine backhand scoop that beat the runner by a blink.   

- In the sixth, the leadoff hitter hit a fairly high fly to short center, that Jones let fall in front of him.    It seemed easily catchable, but Jones may have thought that Rickard was going to get it, though it was clearly Jones' ball IMO.

- Bautista hit a high foul fly down the LF line, that Beckham and Mancini both chased and missed while sliding and nearly colliding.   I think a faster LF might have gotten to the ball.    In any event, Bautista struck out two pitches later.   

- The top of the eighth began with Urena hitting a sharp liner down the LF line, but Mancini cut it off and made a perfect throw to Schoop to nab the speedy runner trying for a double.

- With runners on 1st and 3rd and one out in the ninth, the hitter smashed a one-hopper down the 3B line that Manny knocked down but couldn't catch, with the tying run coming in to score.    Norfolk Oriole thinks Manny should have caught the ball; I say most 3B would not have even touched it, and that even if Manny had caught it, there's no way the runner wouldn't have scored from 3B.    I'm interested what others thought about this play.

[Going Underground]

2 hours ago, Frobby said:

Game 145, Sept. 12

A lot of notable defense in this game.   

- Adam Jones made a leaping catch at the wall while on the run.    He didn't have time to camp under it, and though he didn't have to jump to his full ability, it was a tough catch.

- Rickard missed a similarly tough catch at the wall, gloving it initially but it caromed out of his glove when he hit the wall, and Toronto scored its first run.

- Jones made another nice running catch at the wall, in which he barely avoided a collision with Mancini.

- Manny stabbed a smash in the hole, then took a couple of beats before throwing it and made a poor throw that short-hopped Davis, who made a fine backhand scoop that beat the runner by a blink.   

- In the sixth, the leadoff hitter hit a fairly high fly to short center, that Jones let fall in front of him.    It seemed easily catchable, but Jones may have thought that Rickard was going to get it, though it was clearly Jones' ball IMO.

- Bautista hit a high foul fly down the LF line, that Beckham and Mancini both chased and missed while sliding and nearly colliding.   I think a faster LF might have gotten to the ball.    In any event, Bautista struck out two pitches later.   

- The top of the eighth began with Urena hitting a sharp liner down the LF line, but Mancini cut it off and made a perfect throw to Schoop to nab the speedy runner trying for a double.

- With runners on 1st and 3rd and one out in the ninth, the hitter smashed a one-hopper down the 3B line that Manny knocked down but couldn't catch, with the tying run coming in to score.    Norfolk Oriole thinks Manny should have caught the ball; I say most 3B would not have even touched it, and that even if Manny had caught it, there's no way the runner wouldn't have scored from 3B.    I'm interested what others thought about this play.

Manny was guarding the line.I think the better third baseman also would have gotten a glove on it.Some might have backhanded it to keep it in  the infield.Tough play but Manny is supposed to be the best. Fast infield also does not help.The catcher was running on that play so if he somehow made a great play he might have turned two.But everything going wtong for this team now.

[LA2]

I was in a Brooklyn bar last night and pulled my O's batting helmet down over my eyes when Trumbo failed to come in and catch a flyball that fell in for a late-inning hit. I give him credit though for not freaking out about getting close to the wall earlier in the game when going back to catch a long fly. Routine catch, but I was expecting him to make it difficult.

[Frobby]

14 minutes ago, LA2 said:

I was in a Brooklyn bar last night and pulled my O's batting helmet down over my eyes when Trumbo failed to come in and catch a flyball that fell in for a late-inning hit. I give him credit though for not freaking out about getting close to the wall earlier in the game when going back to catch a long fly. Routine catch, but I was expecting him to make it difficult.

Plus errors by Davis and Schoop.  The team has looked really sloppy on this road trip.   Eight errors in the last six games.

[LA2]

1 minute ago, Frobby said:

Plus errors by Davis and Schoop.  The team has looked really sloppy on this road trip.   Eight errors in the last six games.

I missed the Crush E, but yes the Schoop flub was another moment when I audibly moaned and pulled the visor down over my eyes. A man behind me yelled out, "Hey, Brooks Robinson!"

After driving a rickety mini-RV packed to the gills with belongings 1300 miles to escape Irma, I was really thirsting for Oriole solace and instead they've only given me more anguish.

I'd enjoy seeing what our best kids can do, just wish some of them were SPs.

[Frobby]

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2017/10/manny-machado-is-lone-orioles-finalist-for-gold-glove-award.html