The defense thread 2021

[Frobby]

Game 17, April 20

- In the first inning, Hays slipped while picking up a ball that was hugging the wall, and the ball got past him, turning a double into a triple.  

- Hays made up for it later in the inning with a leaping catch up against the wall in the RF corner, saving a double and ending the inning.   

- Franco made an error, his fourth on the young season.  

- Ruiz failed to cleanly field a ball at 2B, scored a hit but it was borderline.  (Edit: later changed to an error.)

- Galvis let a sharp grounder up the middle get under his glove to knock in the 3rd Marlins run.   

- Harvey caught a line drive and immediately fired to first for a double play.   

- Sisco blocked two very wild pitches and overall caught a good game IMO.
 

[Can_of_corn]

Something some folks thought they would never see.

https://mlb-cuts-diamond.mlb.com/FORGE/2021/2021-04/21/f5024f8f-4d521f5b-fc41581d-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_4000K.mp4

No the runner had no business going and a cut off man was involved but still, it counts.

[survivedc]

8 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

Something some folks thought they would never see.

https://mlb-cuts-diamond.mlb.com/FORGE/2021/2021-04/21/f5024f8f-4d521f5b-fc41581d-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_4000K.mp4

No the runner had no business going and a cut off man was involved but still, it counts.

I think he may have had him without Galvis. Either way, I’ve been more worried about him getting to balls and his internal clock, and they both looked good on that play.

[Frobby]

Game 20, April 24

Maikel Franco made his 5th error of the season.   On pace for a 40-error season.   He’s a putrid defender.  

Ruiz at 2B tried to make a backhand flip to Galvis, but the flip was low and behind Galvis as he was reaching 2B.   Galvis somehow reached back behind his body and gloved the ball on a bounce while maintaining contact with 2B with his toe for the force play.   

Later, Ruiz, playing near 2B in a RH shift, charged a slow roller on the SS side of 2B and threw across his body for the out at 1B.   Replay seemed to show that the runner narrowly beat the throw, but the umpire’s call stood and it was a great effort by Ruiz in any event.   

[webbrick2010]

Is it really that hard to find OF'ers who are at least average. Watching DJ Stewart run like a catcher and throw like a 12 yo, and then I have no idea why Hays is leaping on the warning track three feet away from where the ball is hitting the base of the wall. I don't maybe it was the rain. These guys are just bad. Perhaps you could hide a few on a competitive team but really is anyone on this roster going to be on the next Orioles playoff team? Will the Orioles ever make the playoffs again? Looks like we will get another top 5 pick, hopefully Elias will stop missing.

[foxfield]

On 4/25/2021 at 11:44 AM, webbrick2010 said:

Is it really that hard to find OF'ers who are at least average. Watching DJ Stewart run like a catcher and throw like a 12 yo, and then I have no idea why Hays is leaping on the warning track three feet away from where the ball is hitting the base of the wall. I don't maybe it was the rain. These guys are just bad. Perhaps you could hide a few on a competitive team but really is anyone on this roster going to be on the next Orioles playoff team? Will the Orioles ever make the playoffs again? Looks like we will get another top 5 pick, hopefully Elias will stop missing.

 

A local fan writes in with some questions.  It sounds like perhaps he has a particular view of the Orioles.  Let's see if we can help.

Is it really that hard to find OF'ers who are at least average?  Yes it is really that hard.  

Is anyone on this roster going to be on the next Orioles playoff team?  Let us think about that one for a minute...

Will the Orioles ever make the playoffs again?  I knew that was a trick question above.  No of course no one on the roster will be on the next Orioles playoff team because there will never ever be another Orioles playoff team.  Almost got us with that one.

Will Elias ever stop missing on top 5 picks?  Cheer up me lad.  The answer to this question is a resounding yes.  Elias will most certainly become the most decorated GM in the history of baseball....just as soon as he is dismissed by the Orioles.

We here at Birdland hate to have to burst the bubbles of so many fans that look at the Orioles through rose colored glasses or after drinking the "Orange Koolaid".  It is not fun work.  But sometimes it is necessary in order to prevent those who would blindly place too much faith in their team.  We here understand what the definition of fanatic is and sometimes, like in the case of our fan above, we just have to pop the bubble and let some light in on their unrealistic optimism.  We apologize if it seems harsh, we are just trying to be helpful.

 

[Frobby]

On 4/25/2021 at 11:44 AM, webbrick2010 said:

Is it really that hard to find OF'ers who are at least average. Watching DJ Stewart run like a catcher and throw like a 12 yo, and then I have no idea why Hays is leaping on the warning track three feet away from where the ball is hitting the base of the wall. I don't maybe it was the rain. These guys are just bad. Perhaps you could hide a few on a competitive team but really is anyone on this roster going to be on the next Orioles playoff team? Will the Orioles ever make the playoffs again? Looks like we will get another top 5 pick, hopefully Elias will stop missing.

1.  Hays is an above average defensive outfielder and will prove that as the year progresses.   I didn’t see the play you referenced, but he’s very good IMO.

2.   You’ve been harping on Stewart for years and can’t seem to admit that he made it to the majors on merit.   I’m not going to say he’s a great defender, but he’s adequate and we’ll see how he hits.  

3.   Your remark that “hopefully Elias will stop missing” is ludicrous.   Not a single player he’s drafted for the O’s has played a full minor league season yet.   We have no idea how anyone he’s drafted is going to do.   But I can be pretty sure that you’ll be harping on whichever pick gets off to a disappointing start.   
 

[wildcard]

On 4/25/2021 at 10:26 AM, Frobby said:

Game 20, April 24

Maikel Franco made his 5th error of the season.   On pace for a 40-error season.   He’s a putrid defender.  

Franco averages 15 errors per 145 game a year over almost 6 years in the majors.  Nothing to worry about here.  I am impressed with his strong accurate arm. No saying he is a great 3B but he looks like a bargain for 800K.

[Frobby]

12 minutes ago, wildcard said:

Franco averages 15 errors per 145 game a year over almost 6 years in the majors.  Nothing to worry about here.  I am impressed with his strong accurate arm. No saying he is a great 3B but he looks like a bargain for 800K.

He had a nice defensive game yesterday, including going to his knees on the backhand side to stop a smash down the line and getting up to make a strong throw across, and in the 9th charging a slow roller and throwing across his body for the out.   

Still, his career -12 Rtot, -30 Rdrs, -23 OAA, -9 UZR pegs him as a below average defender, and that’s consistent with what I’ve seen overall.  
 

[wildcard]

15 minutes ago, Frobby said:

He had a nice defensive game yesterday, including going to his knees on the backhand side to stop a smash down the line and getting up to make a strong throw across, and in the 9th charging a slow roller and throwing across his body for the out.   

Still, his career -12 Rtot, -30 Rdrs, -23 OAA, -9 UZR pegs him as a below average defender, and that’s consistent with what I’ve seen overall.  
 

But considering offense and defense still a better player to have at 3B than Ruiz.

[OFFNY]

o

 

(vs. YANKEES, 4/26)

 

On a potential game-saving play ...... the Yankees hit a 2-out, bases-loaded single in the top of the 8th inning. One run scored easily from 3rd base, but before the 2nd run could score from 2nd base, Austin Hays threw a bullet to Maikel Franco to get Aaron Judge trying to go from 1st to 3rd on the play.

 

Replays showed that the run should have been counted prior to the tag being applied to end the inning, but even if it had, the Orioles still would have had the lead in the game by a score of 4-3.

 

o

[Frobby]

Nice throw by Hays and nice effort by Franco to get the tag on him.  

On the other hand, the double hit off Harvey in the 6th that ticked off Franco’s glove would have been caught by Manny 999 times out of 1000.    
 

[Frobby]

Game 23, April 27

The Orioles played some excellent defense despite losing 5-1.

- Maikel Franco made a diving stop of a short-hop liner, then threw a strike to 1B from his knees to get the out.  

- Giancarlo Stanton tried to score from 2B on a two-out single and was thrown out by Austin Hays, who fired a one-hop bullet that beat Stanton by five feet.   

- Rio Ruiz made a diving stop of a smash up the middle and threw the runner out at 1B.

- Chance Sisco is now 4 for 4 throwing out runners, after Franco, covering 2B in a shift, kept his tag on the runner, who beat the throw but couldn’t keep his hand on the bag.   Though the runner did get there first, that was on the pitcher.   Sisco’s throw was perfect and quickly released.   

 

[Frobby]

Game 25, April 29

- Franco made another nice play on a ball towards the SS hole, grabbing a grounder, doing a 360 and throwing out the runner.

- Mountcastle made a leaping catch at 1B, fully extending his 6’4” frame to make the catch.   

- On the Stanton bloop single to RCF that scored the first two Yankee runs, I thought Stewart reacted a bit slowly and then didn’t make an aggressive effort to make the catch.   He may have thought Mullins was closer than he was.   But I think Hays or Santander might have been able to catch that ball, or at least give it a shot.   
 

[Frobby]

Game 26, April 30

- Rio Ruiz made a nice play at 3B, ranging into the hole and cutting off a grounder and making a strong throw to 1B.

- Chance Sisco had an eventful 8th inning, with the O’s up by a run.  With one out, a baserunner stole 2B, the first successful steal on Sisco this year in five attempts.  The throw was right on the base but short hopped Valaika, who caught it but couldn’t apply the tag in time.   I’d say the SB was mostly on Paul Fry.   A couple of pitches later, Sisco failed to hold on to a pitch that was a few inches to his backhand side, and the runner advanced to 3B on the passed ball, setting up a situation where a sac fly or well placed ground ball could score the run.  Fry bailed out Sisco by striking out the batter.   Lakins then came into the game and in his first sequence yanked a pitch well into the LH batters box, and Sisco made a great save to prevent the tying run from coming in.   So, a little bit of everything for Sisco that inning.   He also had to block a bunch of pitches in the 9th, but it was Valdez so at least he knew the diving pitches were coming.  

Overall I feel Sisco has worked hard on his defense, and to me he looks a lot better than in previous seasons.    Certainly his throws look better, and his blocking looks better to me too, though he’s certainly not perfect.    Framing is still a work in progress, but again somewhat improved I think.