Avoiding the track meet

[wildcard]

One of the first things that I see with the catchers that made to Opening Day roster is that they don't throw well.    And the teams that the O's face in the first month of the season  run well.   This looks like  a problem.

Joesph has had seasons  when he threw out a decent percentage for runners.   2014- 40%, 2015 - 33%, 2016- 31%.    But last year he threw out 18% and this spring he threw out no one.   Why the decrease?  I am not sure but if it does not improve teams are going to be running wild on him.    Sisco does not throw well.   I would think if he throws out 10%  at this point in the majors it would be a lot.

The Twins were 5th in the AL in steals last year with 95, the Astros were 4th in 98, the Red Sox 3rd with 106.    The Yankees 7th with 90.   These are all aggressive teams that will take advantage if they can.   The O's will have played all of  them by  April 16th.  

The O's are going to find out whether they can control the other team's running game very early.  They have an answer to the problem in  Austin Wynns.   We will see where this leads the O's.

[theobird]

I predict we see a lot of Austin Wynns this year. Bucks favorite, TTP won't matter if the catcher can't throw.

[Can_of_corn]

5 minutes ago, theobird said:

I predict we see a lot of Austin Wynns this year. Bucks favorite, TTP won't matter if the catcher can't throw.

Sure it does.  Folks don't run on Tillman, it doesn't matter who is catching.

[theobird]

3 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

Sure it does.  Folks don't run on Tillman, it doesn't matter who is catching.

Yeah, but they probably won't need to.

 

[Aglets]

16 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

Sure it does.  Folks don't run on Tillman, it doesn't matter who is catching.

As a wise proverb goes:

"Why run when you can walk?"

[Aristotelian]

I watched most of the game yesterday. Sisco made two awful throws that didn't have much on them as well as bounced about 20 feet in front of the bag. 

Not sure what's going on with Joseph this spring but he has been good in the past. Not too worried about him unless there is something we don't know about.

[Il BuonO]

30 minutes ago, wildcard said:

Joesph has had seasons  when he threw out a decent percentage for runners.   2014- 40%, 2015 - 33%, 2016- 31%.    But last year he threw out 18% and this spring he threw out no one.   Why the decrease?  I am not sure but if it does not improve teams are going to be running wild on him.   

Ubaldo 

[Tx Oriole]

35 minutes ago, wildcard said:

One of the first things that I see with the catchers that made to Opening Day roster is that they don't throw well.    And the teams that the O's face in the first month of the season  run well.   This looks like  a problem.

Joesph has had seasons  when he threw out a decent percentage for runners.   2014- 40%, 2015 - 33%, 2016- 31%.    But last year he threw out 18% and this spring he threw out no one.   Why the decrease?  I am not sure but if it does not improve teams are going to be running wild on him.    Sisco does not throw well.   I would think if he throws out 10%  at this point in the majors it would be a lot.

The Twins were 5th in the AL in steals last year with 95, the Astros were 4th in 98, the Red Sox 3rd with 106.    The Yankees 7th with 90.   These are all aggressive teams that will take advantage if they can.   The O's will have played all of  them by  April 16th.  

The O's are going to find out whether they can control the other team's running game very early.  They have an answer to the problem in  Austin Wynns.   We will see were this leads the O's.

Wynns was optioned to 3A. I don't see the O's bringing him up. 

[Redskins Rick]

21 minutes ago, Tx Oriole said:

Wynns was optioned to 3A. I don't see the O's bringing him up. 

I can, in a new york minute, if opposing teams, start running, like slo-pitch softball games.

[Tx Oriole]

Just now, Redskins Rick said:

I can, in a new york minute, if opposing teams, start running, like slo-pitch softball games.

If they bring up Austin don't they have to send down Sisco? 

[Redskins Rick]

4 minutes ago, Tx Oriole said:

If they bring up Austin don't they have to send down Sisco? 

Most likely, unless, he is hitting so well, they shake up somebody else on their bench to keep him.

Roch mention John Russell working on this with him, so they must feel like they can.

 

[Aglets]

6 minutes ago, Tx Oriole said:

If they bring up Austin don't they have to send down Sisco? 

Not necessarily if Sisco is hitting so well he helps platoon in the DH spot or something.  They could demote Santander after 44 days for example (although obviously I hope he hits well and sticks around too).  Pedro will go when Trumbo returns.........then the decisions probably get kinda sticky.

[Frobby]

As I said in another thread, it’s probably a fallacy to think teams are going to “run wild” no matter how bad our catchers are.   Last year the Astros caught only 12% of runners who attempted to steal, and yet only 116 attempts were made against them.    The highest number of attempts against any team was 156 against the Cubs.   That’s still fewer than one attempt per game.  So if that’s your idea of a “track meet,” fine.    The fewest attempts were against the Cardinals, who only allowed 86 attempts.    So the difference between the most and least attempts allowed was 70, less than half an attempt per game.  The difference between the most successful attempts allowed (121 by the Cubs) and the fewest (50 by the Indians) was 71, again less than half a steal a game.    I’m not saying the difference is insignificant, but I just don’t see much evidence that the issue is anywhere near the magnitude that some are suggesting is likely.   

[bpilktree]

10 minutes ago, Frobby said:

As I said in another thread, it’s probably a fallacy to think teams are going to “run wild” no matter how bad our catchers are.   Last year the Astros caught only 12% of runners who attempted to steal, and yet only 116 attempts were made against them.    The highest number of attempts against any team was 156 against the Cubs.   That’s still fewer than one attempt per game.  So if that’s your idea of a “track meet,” fine.    The fewest attempts were against the Cardinals, who only allowed 86 attempts.    So the difference between the most and least attempts allowed was 70, less than half an attempt per game.  The difference between the most successful attempts allowed (121 by the Cubs) and the fewest (50 by the Indians) was 71, again less than half a steal a game.    I’m not saying the difference is insignificant, but I just don’t see much evidence that the issue is anywhere near the magnitude that some are suggesting is likely.   

Yeah teams just don't run much and mostly the teams that do have about 2 guys that steal.  You want to cut down on the steal attempts keep those guys off base and if you get an early lead that helps control the running game as well.  Last season the starters gave up the following number of steals. Bundy 5, Cashner 8, Gausman 9, Tilman 2 and Cobb 14.   So the starters we have for the most part handle the running game on their own.  Tilman is great and Bundy is very good as well.  Cobb is the only guy that had real issues last year in number of steals per attempt. 

[VaBird1]

6 minutes ago, bpilktree said:

Yeah teams just don't run much and mostly the teams that do have about 2 guys that steal.  You want to cut down on the steal attempts keep those guys off base and if you get an early lead that helps control the running game as well.  Last season the starters gave up the following number of steals. Bundy 5, Cashner 8, Gausman 9, Tilman 2 and Cobb 14.   So the starters we have for the most part handle the running game on their own.  Tilman is great and Bundy is very good as well.  Cobb is the only guy that had real issues last year in number of steals per attempt. 

Nolan Ryan always said TTP doesn’t matter if you don’t have very many base runners.