The defense thread, 2020

[Enjoy Terror]

On 7/30/2020 at 1:52 PM, Philip said:

Holaday Is a good catcher on defense, but unfortunately you can’t really call him up.

Uh ohh ...

[Frobby]

Aug. 1 — Cedric Mullins made an excellent throw from deep in the LF corner to nab Choi trying to tag up and take 3B in the 10th inning.    Probably the best throw I’ve seen Mullins make as a major leaguer.    

[Aristotelian]

50 minutes ago, Frobby said:

Aug. 1 — Cedric Mullins made an excellent throw from deep in the LF corner to nab Choi trying to tag up and take 3B in the 10th inning.    Probably the best throw I’ve seen Mullins make as a major leaguer.    

Hyde just said "first leadoff double play in MLB history."

[SteveA]

1 hour ago, Frobby said:

Aug. 1 — Cedric Mullins made an excellent throw from deep in the LF corner to nab Choi trying to tag up and take 3B in the 10th inning.    Probably the best throw I’ve seen Mullins make as a major leaguer.    

And it was the first double play leading off an inning in major league history.

[25 Nuggets]

Cedric will forever be in the record books!

[Frobby]

8 hours ago, SteveA said:

And it was the first double play leading off an inning in major league history.

Yeah, I was thinking about that when it happened. The Rays would have been better off starting the inning with the bases empty.    Then they would have had only one out after that fly out.   Given how the rest of that inning proceeded, the artificial extra out really hurt them.    But those are the breaks.   

[Can_of_corn]

1 minute ago, Frobby said:

Yeah, I was thinking about that when it happened. The Rays would have been better off starting the inning with the bases empty.    Then they would have had only one out after that fly out.   Given how the rest of that inning proceeded, the artificial extra out really hurt them.    But those are the breaks.   

He didn't have to try for third.  He could have just stayed and they would have had a runner at second and one out.  Bad baserunning cost them, not the free runner at second.

[Frobby]

3 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

He didn't have to try for third.  He could have just stayed and they would have had a runner at second and one out.  Bad baserunning cost them, not the free runner at second.

You know what I meant.    Obviously you’d rather have a runner on 2B with nobody out than have the bases empty.    But it backfired when Choi was thrown out.     

[Can_of_corn]

2 minutes ago, Frobby said:

You know what I meant.    Obviously you’d rather have a runner on 2B with nobody out than have the bases empty.    But it backfired when Choi was thrown out.     

Yes the Rays mishandled the free baserunner.

[Frobby]

4 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

Yes the Rays mishandled the free baserunner.

Or, Mullins made a throw they didn’t think he could make.   Choi is slow as molasses, that’s for sure.   

[OFFNY]

o

 

(vs. MARLINS, 8/06)

 

This was an awful game for the Orioles' defense at-large.

The fact that they lost the game by a score of 8-7 makes it sting even more.

Even though he was not charged with an error, a misplay by Patrick Valaika in the 3rd inning prevented what should have been the 3rd and final out of the frame ........ the Marlins subsequently scored 2 runs on the very next play in the extended inning, turning a 3-2 Orioles lead into a 4-3 deficit.

2 additional errors later in the game by Anthony Santander and Dwight Smith, Jr sealed the team's fate.

 

o

[Aristotelian]

The decisive play was the ball that Valaika muffed, leading to Smith's error. With a man on first and nobody out, Valaika missed the ball going by him. It was hit hard to his left but looked like a clean hop that he just missed. Would have at least got the lead runner and could have been a double play. Instead they got 1st and 3rd with nobody out, and both runners scored to put the Marlins ahead for good. 

[Chuck A]

8 hours ago, Aristotelian said:

The decisive play was the ball that Valaika muffed, leading to Smith's error. With a man on first and nobody out, Valaika missed the ball going by him. It was hit hard to his left but looked like a clean hop that he just missed. Would have at least got the lead runner and could have been a double play. Instead they got 1st and 3rd with nobody out, and both runners scored to put the Marlins ahead for good. 

What good is a utility player who isn't a good fielder?  NOT the Orioles way that i grew up with.

[DrungoHazewood]

3 hours ago, Chuck A said:

What good is a utility player who isn't a good fielder?  NOT the Orioles way that i grew up with.

The Orioles you grew up with didn't have 13 or more pitchers crowding out everyone on the roster.  Imagine if Kiko Garcia was the only utility player and had to fill in at 3B, SS, 2B, 1B, and the outfield.

I'll reiterate my desire for a rule that gets us down to 9 pitchers on the active roster, so there's more to strategy than "and Hyde motions toward the bullpen..."

[Aristotelian]

3 hours ago, Chuck A said:

What good is a utility player who isn't a good fielder?  NOT the Orioles way that i grew up with.

That was a huge letdown for sure. Unfortunately Velasquez appears so terrible with the bat I'm not sure I would keep him. Will be interesting what happens when they go to 28. They may need to get rid of one of the two to make room for Mountcastle.